Professor Hanssen's Time Machine
by Tanith Panic
Summary: Another Alternative Universe story. Freechamp, Dyfty and the usual mix of Casualty characters. Connie is annoyed to find some of her staff turning up at a funfair she hoped to explore alone. She soon realises there's safety in numbers.
1. Chapter 1

PROFESSOR HANSSEN'S TIME MACHINE

(Another Alternative Universe story because that's what I like to write. Freechamp, Dyfty, and some familiar characters along the way. Rated K plus just in case.)

Connie was fuming and trying to hide the fact, which was making her even more short-tempered. Since beginning at Holby Emergency Department as Clinical Lead she'd not got on at all well with the small, abrasive Sister Rita Freeman. Now, not only Rita but the enigmatic and sarcastic Doctor Dylan Keogh and the well-meaning but often inept Nurse Ben Chiltern, had found their way to the fun fair she'd wanted to walk round herself. Old fashioned fun fairs were Connie's Achilles heel. People would have imagined that such forms of entertainment were beneath this beautiful, cultured woman but she loved the artwork on the carousels, the mock-frightening effects of the ghost trains and the general atmosphere.

She glared round, wanting to snap out a venomous comment, but was faced with Ben's wide grin.

"I love places like this, they take me back to my childhood."

"Don't you think there's something just a little spooky about this one?" asked Rita.

Connie had, as it happened, but:

"Oh for goodness sake, how paranoid."

"She's got a point" replied Ben, despite knowing that he might have to pay for his opinion once they were all back on duty, "I mean, look how quickly it's been constructed. It wasn't here a day ago, and I know because I always come through this shortcut to get to the newsagent." He looked a little embarrassed as he continued "My favourite sci-fi and fantasy magazine was out yesterday so I nipped through to get it. No funfair here yesterday."

"Have you never heard of working through the night, Drama Queen?"

Ben looked at his hero, Dylan Keogh, sadly. He loved the doctor, if truth be known, but even if Dylan was gay, why should he have time for a stupid nurse? And it was clear that Dylan thought he, Ben, was a wuss for even mentioning his misgivings.

"It'd cost an arm, a leg and a lung for the electricity" countered Rita.

"You can always go back, Rita and Ben, if you don't like it" Connie snapped.

They were passing the Ghost Train now, which Connie studied avidly. There were no garish screaming spectres or bloody headless corpses. The drawings were all of the kind of ghosts found in the best horror films. The Woman in Black. The Haunting. No gore as such, just really unnerving plots.

She felt chilled, but the trouble with Constance Beauchamp was that she never gave in.

She strode on, with the others in tow.

Then she saw it, as did the others. The sign on the attraction in front of them seemed to draw them all towards it and frighten them at the same time.

"Professor Hanssen's Time Machine. See the future! See the past! Will you survive the journey?"

Ben would normally have embraced the idea of a ride where you could see the future, however corny, wholeheartedly.

Today he just felt total unease.

"Oh come on Dylan, let's leave these babies at the door!" Connie grinned unpleasantly. She and Dylan went through the entrance.

Rita and Ben looked at each other. They weren't going to let their bosses – and if both were being honest, their crushes – sneer at them.

They followed and hoped for the best.


	2. Chapter 2

PROFESSOR HANSSEN'S TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWO

(Another Alternative Universe story because that's what I like to write. Freechamp, Dyfty, and some familiar characters along the way. Rated K plus just in case.)

PROFESSOR HANSSEN'S TIME MACHINE

CHAPTER TWO

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Casualty or any of the characters.

They walked down the winding corridor to the main part of the attraction. It was quite dimly lit. Connie nearly tripped in her Louboutins but this made her all the more determined to go on. Rita gave a nervous little giggle, Dylan tried to look totally bored, Ben looked uneasy. As well he might.

At the end of the corridor were three or four men with machine guns, while a fifth, a tall, thin man, leered at them malevolently.

"Are those props really necessary?" snapped Dylan.

"Oh they're not props. Show him, Dave."

Dave fired at the ceiling, and plaster fell down. Ben felt sick with nerves but wanted to keep a brave face in front of his crush.

"I have armed guards because I need guinea pigs for my little experiment and you were foolish enough to volunteer. Now step this way please."

He led them to a strange looking hut with a large door.

"Step in there."

"Will we all get in?" asked Connie.

"I think it's like the Tardis" Ben replied, trying to keep the conversation light, despite the way his heartbeats were almost choking him.

It was, indeed, a large room with a control panel at the back. Normally Ben would have been thrilled to be living his sci-fi dreams. But this was too close for comfort.

"So, ladies and gentlemen, you have a choice. Either travel in my machine and bring back some treasures on your journey – oh, you could be away for years but to us back here it will only seem like fifteen minutes. Or be shot. Just to see if there are any true gentlemen around still, the ladies would die first. Saying yes to my little venture would save their pretty skins."

Rita had seen quite a few American mob films and felt sick.

"Those shots would be heard outside. Even if you killed us you'd risk arrest." Dylan snapped.

"This attraction is very much soundproofed. Now choose!"

It was Ben – who was supposed to be the stupid one of the group by Connie's reckoning – who gave the most logical answer.

"The way I see it, if we say no, we die here. If we agree, at least we have a fifty-fifty chance."

"The lad's right. What do you say?"

"I'd say that we don't know how to operate this machine of yours" Connie replied.

"Simple. I shall demonstrate without actually touching anything. Forward for forward in time. Back for back in time. Sideways would take you to the same timeline but another country. I recommend going back for a few ventures, if you return empty-handed my death threat still stands."

They all nodded.

"So there'll be a one minute delay between operating the machine and it actually moving. This will enable us to run to safety after you've pressed a control switch" Hanssen explained.

Deep breaths, then a group hug. Ben felt a slight degree of comfort in that he'd at least managed to hug Dylan once.

"Now one of you operate the machine."

"I'll do it" Connie replied bossily.

Nobody wanted to deprive her of that privilege. Slowly, as the notice overhead instructed, she turned the 'back' switch. Hanssen and his mob ran for their lives.

And the room span round then settled down again.

Nobody wanted to open the door but Rita decided it was her turn to be brave.

She turned the handle slowly.

The smell of roast pork. A man's voice saying:

"Ah, 'tis a great day for us all with Good King Charlie on the throne, and Cromwell's mob's heads on poles like the traitors they were. Come, friends, let's go to Slatternly Honey's and buy the company of a wench for the night!"

Rita had a good idea that Good King Charlie wasn't Charlie Fairhead.

She turned back and said to the others:

"Charles the Second's time, I think."

"We might be burned as witches and warlocks if we go outside in these clothes."

Connie saw several blankets in the storage section of the machine.

"Quick! We were attacked by ruffians and they even took our clothes, okay? So take your clothes off."

"All?" Ben looked terrified.

"It's safer that way. Now remember you've been beaten and robbed, and don't forget to mention how brilliant good King Charlie is."

"I preferred Cromwell" whispered Dylan, adding:

"But I'll play it safe."

Leaving their original clothes folded and hidden in the living quarters of the machine, and swathed in blankets, they slowly descended the steps then closed the door to the machine. Connie locked it and kept the key firmly in her hand.

They were close to a crowded square, and were able to pull back against the wall while they assessed the situation.

A sign that read 'Slatternly Honey's House of Joy' was visible across the cobbled street.

Round the corner came a chubby, jovial looking man who seemed to be rich, from his clothing.

Connie pushed Rita forward.

"You look the most vulnerable. Now tell him of our plight."

"Please, sir, will you help us?" Rita cried.

The man came over, and gave a polite bow.

"My goodness, little wench, what happened to you and your friends? And why is your hair shorn like a boy's?"

"Alas, Sir, I was forced to flee from my lover who was monstrously jealous" improvised Rita, "He clipped off my hair and said the next day he would cut my face, and so I fled with my loyal servants here. We were robbed and stripped naked by ruffians! This wench is Constance, my maid. Here are Dylan and Benjamin, who did the heavy work."

"What is the name of your lover? I will run him through!" bawled the man.

Rita strove to remember names from history and came up with:

"The Duke of Monmouth, Sir."

The man's face paled.

"Ah, that is a great shame, for he is favoured by the King, being Nelly Gwynne's son. But no matter! Tonight you shall all have fresh clothing, and sleep in my home. You ladies I'll leave to rest this evening, but I shall treat the gentlemen here to a rollicking evening at Slatternly Honey's."

"And what is your name, Sir?"

The gentleman doffed his hat.

"I am Sir McKenzie Chalker."

True to his word, Sir McKenzie went to the house of a clothes seller, hammered on the door until they answered, and offered them several gold pieces to open their shop. Soon all four were dressed again. Rita's apparel was made of the finest material but Connie, as 'the maid' had to be contented with a plain woollen dress and an apron. Even her shoes were flat. The two men were just grateful to be clothed and warm, and to heck with fashion, but the girls had to agree they looked fetching.

"Now you ladies can sit by the fire and stay warm after our meal. You'll keep the fire stoked, won't you, wench?" Sir McKenzie asked Connie.

She nodded, tight-lipped. If this wench gets her chance to pay you back for this dirty trick, Freeman, you'd better be careful, she thought.

Sir McKenzie was already ushering the men outside.

"'Tis but a step to Slatternly Honey's, friends. We'll drink to His Majesty, bed some lusty wenches, and have a right merry night!"

Dylan and Ben, who were both gay but not yet out of the closet, looked at each other in horror.

(


	3. Chapter 3

PROFESSOR HANSSEN'S TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THREE

Slatternly Honey led Ben to a room, all the time fawning over him:

"Such a handsome young man, and how generous of your friend Sir McKenzie Chalker, to purchase a night in paradise for you!"

Ben gave her a weak smile and entered the room.

A frightened looking but pretty young girl lay there, the covers pulled up to her chin.

"Jessica Harrison, pull back the counterpane and let the young man here see what he's getting."

Jessica pulled back the covers mechanically. She was naked and trembling.

"That'll be all thank you" Ben said, somewhat sharply, to Slatternly Honey.

She gave him a big false smile and left, saying over her shoulder:

"Don't forget now, Sir, you must be out of this room by seven sharp or your good friend must pay extra."

"Hello, I'm Ben."

"J-Jessica."

"No need to be afraid of me. Are you cold, sweetheart?"

She shook her head and tears came into her eyes.

"I-I've never done this before. I'm new here. I was a lady's maid but the sons of the house accused me of stealing when I wouldn't lie with them, and I was dismissed with nothing. I came here, hoping for kinder treatment. Slatternly Honey pretended to be my friend and gave me food and this dress. Now she says if I don't make money back for her, she'll tell them I stole the food and clothes and I'll hang."

"Don't be afraid any more. We'll just lie here and talk till you fall asleep."

She looked worried.

"But if that happens I'll be beaten for not pleasing you."

"Ah, but I'm going to tell that Honey person that you pleased me very much! Now please, stop being scared. Come here."

He lay down with her, changing his position so that her head lay on his chest.

"Now let's just talk."

In the next room, Dylan was having the opposite trouble with the lusty Marian.

"Look" he said wearily, "I was pushed into this, I don't want a woman for the night, and… don't touch that!"

Marian was offended.

"What's wrong? Don't you like me? Aren't I pretty enough?"

She didn't dare insult her customer, not when she'd been 'given' to him for the night by the rich Sir McKenzie Chalker.

"It's not that. You're really pretty. It's just..."

Dylan fell back on a tried and trusted excuse. He knew all too well what could happen to gays at this time in history. He sincerely hoped Ben knew it too. He liked the lad and would hate to have to rescue him from a hanging.

"I was given more to drink than I am used to. Now I have a headache."

"Ahhh! I understand now. Well, Sir, as long as I get my fee I'm happy to just lie here and stroke your head all night if you so choose."

"That would be admirable" Dylan replied.

In the early hours, Sir McKenzie staggered home, hoping to continue his fun with Rita and her pretty maid Constance. Singing a cheerful aria written by Mr Purcell he strode up the steps to his home.

"'Tis I, 'tis I, 'tis I who have warmed ye…

Despite the cold weather, I've brought ye together…

'Tis I… oh, poxy plague, what are the words?"

Poor McKenzie meant to go up and lie on his bed for a while, then go and find two very grateful ladies.

Instead, he collapsed across the bed and was soon snoring loudly.

"Connie, we can't. It'd be like stealing!"

"Do you want a whipping or worse when he finds out we're not into him? Or burned at the stake because he finds out our secret? Rita, I feel bad about letting the poor man down, but we need to be selfish here. We have to leave before he awakens."

"And just abandon Ben and Dylan?"

"Of course not. All four of us are leaving. But we need to be quiet when we knock on their doors."

Marian was easy enough, she was already hurrying down the stairs. If she hurried she could satisfy another customer before the rest of the household awoke. It was a shame the nice looking man in her bed wasn't well, but she'd get at least one gold coin from the night's work even if that greedy bitch Honey had to take her cut.

"Who is it please?" Ben called.

"Ben, keep your voice down. We're leaving, it's too dangerous for us here."

"In that case I want to bring somebody. Give us five minutes."

Soon he arrived with Jessica in tow.

Connie was amazed, she really had thought Ben was gay.

"She's been mistreated and I don't want to abandon her to that trollop. She won't tell on us, will you, Jessica?"

"I just want to escape this life, Madam."

"Oh you'll do that all right. But you have to run."

They fled across the town, and just reached the machine as the rest of London was awakening. Connie manoeuvred the credit-card like key, and soon they were safely inside. Jessica's eyes were wide with wonder. She still didn't fully understand, but the fear of the vicious Honey was bigger than her unease about her future.

"Forward this time?"

Connie, unexpectedly generous, said:

"Dylan, it's your turn to choose."

"Hmm. These clothes we have on would be accepted more in the future than in the past. Let's try… forward and slightly sideways together."

As the machine moved, Ben said gently:

"It bumps a bit at first, Jessica, but you'll not be harmed."

Dylan felt a pang of disappointment. He could have sworn Ben was gay, and he'd started to have feelings for him.

The machine moved. Jessica felt a little nauseous at first, but that quickly passed.

Then the machine came to a halt.

"Shall I look?" Rita asked, wanting to be brave again.

"Better that I look, just in case." Dylan was feeling protective. And very put out with Ben.

He opened the door.

He could see a building marked 'Sherriff's Office.' Somewhere along the street, a honky tonk piano was playing. And gunfire in the distance.

The Wild West.

"Yee hah" he said miserably.

Back in 1690, Sir McKenzie was slapping his own thigh in great amusement. Those cheeky wenches! They'd fooled him all right. But there were lovely wenches all over London, and, hey ho, Good King Charlie was on the throne again. Life was grand.

(


	4. Chapter 4

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FOUR

He went back and told the others where they were.

"At least we don't have clothing problems this time but we need to sort out less revealing clothes for Jessica and Rita."

"This was the finest Sir McKenzie could buy!" teased Rita.

"It might be but here you'll just be thought of as a scarlet woman! Now I suggest you and Jess stay in here – Connie looks respectable enough – while the rest of us take this and see if we can trade it for a couple of shawls and some food."

Dylan waved a watch in the air, he'd found it in one of the cupboards in the machine and it was in fine working order.

"You ladies can explore the cupboards but please don't touch the controls – I'd hate us to be stranded here while you go flying off to goodness knows what century! Jessica, don't look so afraid, I'm sure Ben will look after you when he comes back."

Ben saw his look and realised what it meant. Dylan thought he and Jessica…! His feeling for Jessica were more those of a brother, for goodness sake. But he could hardly say "Don't fret, I'm gay", for all he knew, Dylan was straight and might loathe him.

Connie gave Rita a smug look.

"Better to look like a maid and be allowed out on the streets, eh? Bad luck, Freeman!"

Ben, Dylan and Connie explored the streets, one or two people looked lazily at them but that was all.

Connie suddenly saw a notice on the Schoolhouse door:

"School Ma'am wanted. Nine till four daily except weekends. Must be clean-living and honest. Apply to the Reverend Fletcher at the chapel."

"I'll give you a week's trial then if you don't suit, you'll have to go", stated the Reverend, and told Connie the amount she would earn each week. Connie could tell from his face that it was a mediocre

sum but that was fine.

"I'd be happy with that. By the way these are my cousins, Benjamin and Dylan. Dylan's mama was fond of Welsh legends."

"Wales, England? Oh ma'am, I should love to see England one day; that's a right purty accent you got there."

"I don't suppose you have work for my cousins?"

"Not at the moment ma'am. Now you start tomorrow at 9am."

Connie bobbed a little curtsey and the Reverend wished he wasn't a Reverend.

The next place they went to was the trading post, to see if they could sell the watch. An oily-looking man behind the counter almost snatched it from Dylan in glee.

"Oh, that is some timepiece, Sir", he gushed, and then said "My name's Jordan, Nick Jordan. My boy Wilberforce has just started going to school."

Whoopee, thought Dylan and smiled politely.

"Bless. How old is he?"

"Eleven", said Nick proudly.

Connie refrained from comment. Just then a man dressed in Native American Indian clothes walked in, a quite good-looking man, a little older than Dylan. He waited patiently until Jordan had given Dylan some money for the watch.

Dylan knew Nick had underpaid him but beggars couldn't be choosers. Then the Indian moved forward almost humbly.

"What do you want?"

Nick's manner changed from oily to hostile on confronting the Indian. The latter kept his dignity and looked proud. Then Nick said, the oil coming back into his voice:

"I've some really nice blankets. Cheap ones."

Connie suddenly remembered what she'd read. She moved over to the Native American and said quietly but clearly:

"Don't touch those blankets. They're infected, treated with disease to spread through your tribe. I know what these people are like."

The other man stared at Connie for a long moment. Then he smiled slowly.

"Thank you, white woman. Maybe one day I can help you."

On that note, he walked out. So much for the murdering Indians in all the embarrassing old Westerns.

Nick's guilt was apparent. If looks could kill, they'd have been burying Connie the next day. As it was...

"Get out of here, ma'am, this shop doesn't sell to a Redskin Lover."

Neither Ben nor Dylan blamed Connie for their coming away empty handed.

"You did right, Mrs Beauchamp. Racism's evil" Ben assured her.

"Ben, don't you think under the circumstances you should start calling me Connie?"

Ben blushed, but resolved to call her just that.

Fortunately they were able to find a General Store, which sold shawls for ladies. Dylan found something even more useful. A notice on the street:

"Miss Megan Roach's Select Rooms for gentlefolk. No gambling parties, no chorus girls."

A reasonable price, too. Just one drawback.

"We can't all afford a single room. I'll be happy to share with Miss Freeman."

They looked at Connie in surprise, but she was determined to start 'mucking in' – it seemed the best way to cope with this insane situation.

"Ben, you and Dylan can share."

Dylan looked uneasy. Ben's heart sank. Again.

"Won't you be sharing with Jessica?"

Ben laughed in relief.

"No. She's a lovely girl but…"

Ben took a deep breath.

"I'm actually gay. All Jessica did that night was cry on my chest and then go to sleep."

Dylan wanted to punch the air but knew better. Instead he said the wrong thing entirely, crushing Ben yet again.

"Well you touch me and I'll stab you."

"I'll keep to my side of the room, don't get your panties in a bunch" Ben snapped.

"Benjamin!"

Dylan glared:

"One day we will return to 2015. You will be Nurse Chiltern and I will be Doctor Keogh. And when we resume our positions I shall make your life hell for telling me not to get my panties in a bunch."

Connie burst out laughing. The others realised what a beautiful laugh she had.

"We thought you were never coming back" grumbled Rita.

"Well pardon us, Rita, but we were getting you two some shawls among other things."

"There's a whole lot of tea and coffee devices and a machine that can make hot water. And some sweetmeats" Jess changed the subject, then added "And thank you for the shawl."

"See, some people say thank you nicely, Freeman. Anyway, here are the shawls."

"Bags I the blue one" Rita jumped in greedily.

"The store does – um – underwear for ladies too but it's not like you've ever seen, Freeman."

Connie suddenly realised how cute Rita would look in pantalettes. She wondered why this mouthy little blonde was getting to her.

The 'sweetmeats' Jess had mentioned turned out to be biscuits, and everybody enjoyed their break.

"So later today we'll move into Miss Roach's establishment."

"Can't we just stay here? It has sleeping space."

"It's best that nobody actually sees us coming and going from here more than they have to. They could follow and that could lead to big trouble. We need to fit in until we've got some kind of historical stuff to take back, and then we can either stay longer or leave. But we need to make more money, there's just enough left for the rooms till Connie's paid. And we can't sponge off her" Dylan said firmly.

Everybody looked at each other in despair. Four medical staff and an ex bawdy-house member. Not a recipe for making a fast buck.

(


	5. Chapter 5

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FIVE

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. The actual effect on the timeline will be mentioned nearer to the end of the story but for now it'll remain a mystery because I'm mean like that! The Native American Indian idea was inspired by a weird but wonderful film called 'Dead Man'.

Perhaps foolishly they decided to go to the Golden Nugget saloon that night, just to relax.

At the start it looked as if it wasn't the best night they could have chosen.

The bartender, Jeff Collier, was morose as he passed over the drinks. (Beer for the two men, Sasaparilla for the three ladies.)

"Might be trouble tonight, friends. Our favourite lady singer, Miss Ruth Winters, she ran away to get married and left us high and dry. Now we've no singer and the crowd gets bored mighty fast round here. And when they get bored…"

The gesture he made wasn't comforting.

Jimmy Powell, sitting at the piano, nodded in agreement.

"We'll be out of here after this drink, okay?" Connie hissed under her breath.

"Hey Collier! Who've ya got to replace Ruthie?" bawled Jordan.

"Ah, um… nobody's applied yet. I'll just get Jimmy to play the piano a bit to liven it…"

Jordan's glass smashed behind Jimmy's head. Jimmy, uneasy but used to such a fracas, kept playing.

Jordan banged on the table.

"I wanna song!"

To everybody's surprise, and Dylan's horror, Ben stood up.

"I can sing a little!"

"Sit down Ben, and be quiet" Connie whispered.

"Ben, you'll get yourself killed. Keep your trap shut!" bawled Dylan.

"If this works, I might get a job" Ben persisted.

"Yes, and you might get a bullet. Now sit-"

Ben walked to the front of the stage, close to the piano.

"Can I try?"

"Okay, kid, but I can't be responsible for their actions."

Ben turned round to Jimmy.

"You may not know this, but I think you could pick it up. It's one my Mum used to sing."

"What's it called, 'Ba ba Black Sheep'?" Jordan heckled.

"This is 'Invisible Tears'."

Ben began to sing, a little shaky at first, then his voice growing in momentum.

Jess, Rita, Connie and Dylan were dumbfounded.

Ben had a really good, emotive voice and his eyes conveyed the sad lyrics without his making corny gestures:

"Invisible tears in my eyes, incredible pain in my heart,

Indestructible memories are passing in revue,

Impossible though things may get, improbable I will forget

Indelible memories of sweet, loveable you."

The whole saloon, apart from Jordan, were on their feet clapping.

"More, more!"

"Throw him out, he's crap!" yelled Jordan.

He was quiet as a cowboy's fist slammed into his face.

"Sing us another one, boy!"

"Yeah!"

Dylan wondered if it was mere co-incidence that Ben had been looking at him all the while during the song.

Ben's voice jolted him from his thoughts:

"This is called 'Black Velvet Band'."

Soon everybody in the saloon, apart from Jordan, who had slunk out, was on their feet singing the chorus:

"Her eyes they shone like diamonds, I thought her the queen of the land,

And her hair it hung over her shoulder, tied up with a black velvet band."

Ben was hired to sing in the saloon every night. Dylan decided he'd better go along as well to make sure the silly boy wasn't brained by a flying glass. But the Golden Nugget regulars were already looking forward to hearing more from Ben.

What Collier offered him for singing was twice as much as what Connie would earn teaching at the school.

Dylan felt an irrational urge to hug the younger man when he said:

"If we split that between us, we'd each get…"

"We'll keep a kitty to pay for essentials" Connie said, organising as usual, "And it's very generous of you to put in your whole salary, Ben."

"But we're all in this together, Mrs… um, Connie."

Connie smiled at Ben's eagerness to help out.

She hoped her first day at the school would go as well as Ben's first night in the saloon.

Reverend Fletcher accompanied her to the first class.

"Now children, this is Mrs Beauchamp, you new teacher. Say 'good morning Mrs Beauchamp'."

"Good morning Mrs Beauchamp" they chorused, except Algernon Jordan, who sat glaring at her.

Connie asked the children to say a little about themselves. Algernon had two things to say:

"I'm Algernon Jordan and I don't like women teachers."

"I don't like rude boys but there we go, I suppose we're stuck with each other, aren't we?"

She addressed a nervous little girl near the back.

"Who are you, darling?"

"She's a half-breed" bawled Algernon. The little girl's face fell.

"Algernon, we don't use that word in my class. What's your name, dear, don't be nervous."

"Elena. My mama's Mexican."

"Well, that's good! If I have a show and tell class you can tell us a little about Mexico, can't you?"

Elena smiled. Algernon gave her the look of death.

"Now we're going to have a story, but to make it more fun I want you all to read out your parts. This is the story of Cinderella."

Priscilla Summerskill, a crony of Algernon's, preened. She was sure to be chosen for Cinderella, because of her looks.

"… So that's Richard to read out the Prince's part, and now we're ready for the title role!"

Priscilla was still glaring at Connie, having been chosen for one of the 'beautiful but spiteful' sisters.

"Elena, I'd like you to read Cinderella's part please."

Elena's eyes widened.

"Me, Mrs Beauchamp?"

"That's right, dear. It doesn't matter if you read slowly."

"You can't have a half-breed reading Cinderella! It shoulda been Priscilla!"

Connie's voice became steely.

"Algernon! You don't have a part in this reading, you go and sit at the back and write out 100 times 'I must not be a racist'."

She saw that Algernon was about to prod Elena, and added:

"I need you near the front, Elena. Please come and sit opposite me."

Most of the kids ran home to their parents, eager to tell how nice the new teacher was:

"And she's a Mrs so that means she's a widder-woman, mama! Ain't that the most respectable?"

Algernon, however, went home and said:

"New teacher's a pile of rubbish! She let that half-breed girl read for Cinderella."

"I'll complain to the Reverend. She won't be working much longer" his father said smugly.

(


	6. Chapter 6

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER SIX

"She gave my son LINES just for making a witty comment" Algernon wailed to The Reverend Fletcher.

"What comment was that, Nick?"

"He called that little half-Mexican girl a half-breed, is all."

"I don't blame her! Nick, you need to tell that boy of yours that such language's unacceptable. And remember we're all equal in the eyes of The Almighty."

Nick stormed out.

He tried to put his poison in with Miss Roach next, and caught her up as she was carrying her basket home from the grocery store.

"Help carry your bag, ma'am?"

"No thank you Mr Jordan, I can manage."

"Ma'am, I don't want to stir up trouble-"

Miss Roach gave a ladylike snort of disbelief.

"_But that new lodger of yours, Benjamin Chiltern. He's singing in the Golden Nugget with all the lowlife."

Miss Roach hit him over the head with her basket.

"I was in there last night! That boy sings like an angel and he sung a right good song too, called 'You Raise Me Up'. He's a good boy and that new schoolteacher lady's just dandy too. My little niece Molly said she let her read the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Molly's usually such a shy little thing but she told me she stood up and she read right out loud!"

Nick decided that if verbal poison wasn't going to work, the real thing might.

He went to the other saloon in town, which was only frequented by actual lowlife, the Rampant Rooster, and saw that the man he wanted to speak to was in the corner trying to look unobtrusive.

"Her name's Mrs Beauchamp and she's a redskin lover and a half-breed supporter, too. Now if she was a man it'd be easy but I can't just start a fight with a lady and get out my gun, can I?" whined Jordan.

The sinister-looking man said quietly:

"You need a bit of my special powder. Get near her, maybe while that curly numbskull's singing in the Golden Nugget. Slip a little into her drink. She'll wake with a bad belly ache the next day. If that ain't enough to see her off, keep slipping a dose in each night. Soon your little schoolma'm will be up there playing a harp."

Nick came out of the Rampant Rooster, his wallet lighter by two dollars, and his lip set in determination. He felt a bit bad about killing a lady, but hell, the bitch didn't fancy him anyway. She had to go.

Next day he couldn't believe his luck. Connie Beauchamp was snoozing on the veranda of Miss Roach's establishment, and there was a half-empty glass on the window sill behind her. And that window was open. Nobody else seemed to be around.

Rita was helping Miss Roach by doing the ironing that evening.

Nick crept over to the glass on the sill. Rita saw something in the corner of her eye. She'd never trusted Jordan and now he was about to put something in Connie's glass of home-made lemonade.

An iron is a heavy weapon, and especially lethal when it's hot.

Nick was in the Next World before he knew it.

And Mrs Jordan was screaming and pointing hysterically at Rita.

"Murderess! She's killed my husband!"

Up to now Connie had never liked Rita Freeman much, but now Rita was in the county jail, awaiting her last morning on earth. She went to see Sheriff Harper herself to plead Rita's case.

"She was defending me! It wasn't murder."

Sheriff Harper looked sad.

"Ma'am, there's only one sentence for cold-blooded killing in this town but I'll tell you what we'll do. I'm a personal friend of the hangman. Now normally what happens is, the little lady would stand on the back of a horse, somebody would whop its ass and it'd gallop away, leaving your little friend to strangle."

Connie felt queasy.

"But the hangman, he don't like making the ladies suffer, so what he'll do if I ask him is, just before the horse gallops away, he'll snap your friend's neck. She'll be in the next world before she feels a thing. Okay?"

Connie nodded briefly, then hurried outside, where she ran to a patch of grass behind the Sheriff's office, and threw up on it.

Ben had been singing in the Golden Nugget when somebody had burst in and shouted the shocking news. Ben had immediately apologised and walked out, his face white. None of the regulars could blame him in the circumstances. Connie, Ben, Dylan and Jess spent the night huddled together in a miserable group hug. It looked as if things were hopeless for Rita.

Some miles away, Grey Owl, the Native American Indian who Connie had helped was sending out smoke signals to all his tribe, having witnessed the arrest from a safe distance.

The next morning, two men led Rita out, her hands tied behind her. Algernon Jordan's eyes were red. They were not red with grieving, it was because he'd received a thorough whipping from his mother when he'd asked her if he could have his late father's dirty postcard collection now.

Connie, Ben, Dylan and Jess stood in a group, still hugging. They were all weeping. Widow Jordan glared at Rita, hoping that she'd suffer for a long time.

The men were almost gentle with Rita when they stood her on the back of the horse.

Then suddenly came the shout:

"Indians!"

They came in a cloud of dust, about twenty of them. Women fled indoors with their children. Men, expecting a battle, ran to get more weapons. Connie and her group moved close to Rita, refusing to budge from her side.

Arrows pinned the four of them to the wall by their sleeves. They didn't realise it but that was to keep them safely in one place so they weren't trampled by the Indians' horses.

Grey Owl fired an arrow into the hangman's hand, then cut the noose around Rita's neck. She was stunned but unhurt as he flung her across his horse and galloped away with her, firing an arrow at Dylan as he did so. It hit the wall behind Dylan's head and had a note pinned to it:

"Stupid f****ing white men. I have taken your light-haired woman to safety. You must find our camp and claim her back within two days. After this we will have moved on and taken her with us. If you do not claim her she will be my squaw. The journey is long and tiring, but I have drawn you a map. This is a test of your stamina."

The townspeople emerged, realising the attack had only claimed two casualties, or so they thought.

"Poor little lady; she'd have been better off with the noose. They'll torture her to death for sure."

"That dirty injun will ravish her day and night and then some."

Dylan read the note pinned to the arrow.

"What's that note say, Mister?" asked one of the townspeople.

"It says they're going to kill her" replied Dylan, forcing his voice to sound hopeless.

Inside, he felt a new hope. But would he and Ben have the stamina to save Rita from becoming a squaw and being lost to them forever?

(


	7. Chapter 7

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER SEVEN

A/N: "Stupid f***ing white men" is taken from the film 'Dead Man', it's more or less an ongoing gag through the film.

The children were upset. Ben Chiltern and Mr Keogh had walked into the woods in grief and heartache over their friend Rita, Mrs Beauchamp and her friend Miss Harrison were 'holed up' in Miss

Roach's, and Mrs Beauchamp was unfit for work, and now they had to be taught by horrid Miss Wright (a descendant of Slatternly Honey, no doubt) who made them do sums and wouldn't let them

act out plays. Little Tina Seabrook was already in the corner with a dunce's cap on her head.

Meanwhile, Ben and Dylan were struggling on. They'd walked through the woods till it became too dark to go on, nervously remembering the "watch out for bears" warnings Grey Owl had marked on

the map. They'd already spent a nerve racking night in the open, and were already exhausted. They were sustained not only by the thought of seeing Rita again but by the berries they'd eaten and the

water that they'd drunk from streams.

Grey Owl had described which berries were safe to eat and which would kill the "stupid f***ing white men".

They'd told Connie and Jess that, if they didn't come back in three days, the ladies should make their way to the machine and hide in there. If they weren't back within a week, they advised Connie

and Jess to move on to a safer place in a safer century.

Dylan was impressed by Ben's stamina. He wouldn't have believed the younger man had it in him, but Ben had gritted his teeth and had climbed over rough terrain and ran for as much of the journey

as he could manage. Ben had even – oh, the torture for Dylan! – stripped off and swum in one of the streams on the second morning. He'd climbed out, shivering but gasping:

"You should try it, Dylan! I feel so much cleaner for this."

"Are you saying I'm dirty, Chiltern?"

Ben felt his pulse racing at the thought of Dirty Dylan, but he shook his head.

"It's made me feel more awake though."

"You know what would make me feel even more awake?" snapped Dylan, "Beans and sausages and a huge mug of tea. Not berries or bloody stream water. I'm going to give Rita the lecture of

her life when we catch up with her."

By the second night, Dylan could see the dark circles under Ben's eyes when the moon shone through the trees, but the younger man was determined to struggle on.

"It's for Rita – for all of us. We need to stick together on this one."

"Look, Chiltern, cut the High School Musical mentality. You're pushing yourself because you're a young fool with a soft heart."

They were both resting under a tree; Dylan was cold and he could see Ben shivering.

"You said you were gay, right?"

Ben nodded, his heart contracting with pain as he remembered Dylan's telling him to back off.

"In that case, you'll not object to us getting a bit warmer. Come here."

He held out his arms but Ben glared and didn't move.

"You made it clear enough how you felt."

"You stupid little sod! I said that because… because I wasn't ready to come out myself just then."

"You're….?"

"Yes. So are you going to keep that adorably snooty expression on your face all night or are you going to come quietly?

Ben sniggered at the obvious pun but gave in and moved closer.

"You do realise that if any of those rednecks found us like this they'd lynch us?"

"And do you realise, Benjamin Cleverbugger, that none of those rednecks would have the guts to come so far into Indian territory?"

It was the most beautiful either of them had spent in their lives. In the morning it was back to business, and an extra push was needed, for time was running out.

The next night wasn't so easy for either of them; there were distinct growlings from what could only be bears heard in the woods as they hid.

Finally, almost more dead than alive, supporting each other, they staggered to the place marked on the map as the Indian Encampment... only to find it

deserted.

"Dear God" Ben said in anguish, they've gone, she'll be his squaw and we'll never see her again. And Connie will kill us."

Then they heard the most beautiful words they'd heard for years.

"Just in time, stupid f***ing white men!"

Grey Owl sat on a large white horse with Rita in front of him. She looked ecstatic to see Ben and Dylan again but didn't look at all as if she'd been mistreated. She'd obviously been given something

different to wear by the Squaws, and the Indian garments really suited her.

"We thought we'd never get here" Dylan snapped at her, "We've been travelling on foot for nearly three days, Ben's half-dead with tiredness, bloody look at him, and it's all your fault in the first place!"

Rita burst into tears.

"Don't shout at her, please…"

Ben, suddenly overcome by exhaustion, collapsed into unconsciousness.

Dylan was suddenly aware of Grey Owl's tribe hiding in the bushes. Grey Owl had rather a warped sense of humour. Rita screamed. Grey Owl's reprimand to her was less foul-mouthed than the way

he'd previously spoken to the men.

"Light Hair should keep calm. Storm Eyes will be fine when he has rested and been healed by our tribe."

Dylan realised this was a tribute to Ben's grey/blue eyes, and smirked at the thought of them.

After a night's sleep, Ben was ready to move on again. Meanwhile, Dylan, Rita and Ben were given gifts from the tribe.

"Because your friend Dark Raven was kind to me at the trading post" explained Grey Owl.

"But they must be worth a fortune" Ben gasped. The talisman he'd been handed and the handpainted pebbles were exquisite.

"You must keep that with you or pass it on to those you love, Storm Eyes. But the pebbles you can trade. They were made by the squaws – it takes their minds off gossip."

"Do I get a name?" demanded Dylan.

"Red Dog."

"As good as anything else. Thanks for the food and the gifts, and for looking after Rit-Light Hair."

"All I ask, stupid f*cking white men, is that you tell those you meet that Indians are good people."

"Oh we will" Ben replied fervently.

Grey Owl embraced each of them, taking slightly longer over Rita, and then yelled for two members of his tribe who appeared on horseback.

"Come here! You are to take stupid f*cking white men and Light Hair to their travelling home. Take them the safe way, to avoid the town again."

"I can't ride a horse" Ben told them. He would have loved to have asked how Grey Owl knew about the machine, but time was too precious.

"You have endured a three-day journey, you will ride behind my friends. Now go!"

"Thank you for-" began Dylan as he mounted the horse behind the young Redskin.

Grey Owl held up his hand.

"You have thanked us. Now go!"

He slapped the horse's rear. Rita squealed as it galloped off, but remembered to hold on to the rather cute young man in front of her.

Dylan and Ben took it in turns to ride and walk behind the other Redskin.

It was a long uneven ride, but suddenly they could see the time machine.

Then they could see the two men emerging from their hiding place in the grass; cronies of Jordan's.

"Let's finish 'em off, dirty Redskin lovers."

There was a shot; and the two Indians fired their arrows on what was a reflex action as the door of the time machine opened a little and Jess's nervous face was seen.

Both the thugs collapsed with arrows in their throats.

Jess hurriedly opened the door to its full extent as Dylan, a wound in his upper back, collapsed and lay unconscious.

Ben gave a cry of grief.

The Indians had galloped away again.

He and Rita half-carried Dylan into the time machine.

"I'm turning it to the future, it's Dylan's only chance of survival, even though I can patch him up a little" Connie told them.

She ran to the machine and turned it forwards…

(


	8. Chapter 8

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER EIGHT

A/N This next part was inspired by Tanith Lee's 'The Silver Metal Lover' but I hope I've put enough of my own ideas in there too.

Ben laid the unconscious Dylan very gently on the floor of the machine and looked outside. There were strange, high buildings with architecture he'd never seen the like of before, set at some height across a vast river. He yelled as loudly as he could to a tall, muscular

handsome man who was walking not too far away:

"Please can you help? My friend's hurt – he could be dying!"

"Don't mind us, Ben" was Connie's sarcastic comment, but her eyes said she understood.

The man bounded to Ben's side almost impossibly fast.

"Where's your friend?" he asked.

Ben pointed inside the machine. The man ran inside and said almost calmly to Connie, Jess and Rita:

"Afternoon, ladies."

Then he picked up Dylan effortlessly and strode into the distance. Connie locked the machine and the others strode with her after the man, who was pacing ahead.

"I'll take him to the hospital. What happened?"

"He's been shot" Ben explained.

The man looked closer.

"That's not a laser wound. What was he shot with?"

"A pistol, I think."

The man looked puzzled.

"Did they steal it out of a museum?"

The man's face changed and he looked thrilled.

"Hey, you're not time travellers, are you?"

Ben was convinced they'd all be burned at the stake for sorcery, while poor Dylan died of his wound with nobody to help him.

"Please don't burn us at the stake" wept Jess.

The man laughed at them, but kindly.

"What century do you think we're living in? If you're time travellers you're in real luck, you can go to the Johnny Depp Village and make a fortune lecturing on your adventures in the Jack Sparrow Centre. Don't worry about money right now, the hospital will operate on your friend regardless of how much you have on you at the moment. You'll be contacted for payment later. You need to build up your money anyway, to have enough points to own an IMU card."

The newcomers were saved from having to ask about an IMU card by the man saying:

"We're here. Justin Bieber Memorial Hospital. I'll come in with you and explain the situation."

"Will he live?" Ben asked.

"Of course, it's nothing serious and he'll be going home with you this afternoon."

The others just started at each other.

While they were waiting on a soft couch, a man in a white coat walked out of one of the rooms with Dylan, who looked fine. He and Ben hugged, regardless of what the others' reaction might be.

"We could do with spending a day here just to watch!" Connie enthused.

"Take it easy tonight, Mr Keogh", advised the doctor, "No bars or nightclubs please. If you need me for any reason, here's my number; my name's Dr Alcindor Kellerman."

The man was still waiting when they walked out.

"I thought you might like to stay at my place until you're sorted out. My name's Jacob, by the way."

"But you don't know us. How do you know we're not terrorists?" Connie asked.

"Because I did a quick brain scan on all of you while we were waiting at the hospital. You're all decent people."

Jacob paid the fare for all of them to ride on a monorail system high above the city.

"A tour of the city as a treat for you" he smiled.

They all enjoyed the beginning of the tour. The monorail passed through an expensive shopping mall and Connie noted the shoe shops for future reference. Ben grinned at the football souvenir shop, though he knew future football would be very different to the kind he knew. Dylan wanted to get off and explore a bookshop but resolved to come back himself or with Ben for a look round the next day. As for Jess and Rita, they just enjoyed watching the array of shops as the machine glided by them.

"Meryl Streep Square – dining area ahead!" sang out a disembodied voice.

This time they were just a little embarrassed to be passing so close to people who were eating, but the diners themselves carried on chatting and enjoying their meals as if indifferent to the monorail.

The monorail passed through the mall and out of it.

"Please close all windows; we are approaching John Lennon Street."

Jacob seemed to move like lightning as he closed the windows.

Jess shivered suddenly, and the others saw why.

The people beneath the monorail looked rough and shabby and more than one of them was spitting on the ground.

"Lowlife" Jacob snapped, and continued:

"While you're here, never ever walk round this district alone. And always check the safety locks on the windows before the monorail pulls away. A couple of years ago there was this spoilt supermodel called Claveline. The monorail stalled on Bob Geldof bridge, and one of the thugs from the area had climbed up the bridgework. Claveline thought she was above the warnings and flashed her jewellery. The guy slid in through the open window, slit her throat and stripped her of her jewellery. The cops caught him later and lethally injected him, but it was too late for her by then. Silly bitch!"

Ben felt a little sickened, and noticed that Jess was crying.

Rita hugged her, and even cool, assured Connie looked pale.

"Relax folks, this was just to show you how things are. You need never come to this area again. Oh, another thing. If you decide to take a stroll by the river under Bob Geldof Bridge, watch out for the purple fish and don't feed them. They're greedy b*ggers, they bite and they can jump high too. I've seen people with the scars to prove it."

Suddenly this new Utopia didn't look so perfect.

Jess buried her face in Rita's knee and wouldn't lift her head until the monorail reached its final stop.

"Wonderful place isn't it?" asked Jacob.

Jacob's place turned out to be a stylish penthouse overlooking the rich area of the city.

"We'll look for work as soon as we can" Ben said.

"No need yet, I own this place and I've enough food for ten people. But you will need to think about money soon because the Justin B memorial hospital will be sending for payment for Dylan's treatment in the next two weeks.

"What will they do if I can't pay, put the bullet back?" joked Dylan, then he saw the pain in Ben's eyes and was quiet.

"You all right, sweet?"

Dylan stroked Ben's curls.

"It's just that ride… what happened to that poor girl…"

"Don't let that thing upset you with those stories of his."

Ben was shocked. He sincerely hoped Dylan wasn't a racist. But he had to know.

"Thing?" he asked tersely, adding:

"He's a human being like the rest of us, Dylan."

"Ben, you adorable twerp, don't you get it? Did you see him sit and eat with us?"

"No, but…"

"My darling little numbskull, Jacob's a robot!"

(


	9. Chapter 9

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER NINE

The next day at breakfast, Rita handed the painted pebbles that the Squaws had given her, to Jacob.

"Would these sell, do you think?"

This time Ben actually heard the mechanism whirring as Jacob calculated this.

"Wow, yes, they'd fetch a thousand IMU's each if you took them to the Amy Winehouse museum! That's three months wages you're holding there, Rita!"

Rita nearly dropped the three months' wages of pebbles in shock.

"Anything else?"

Ben opened his shirt to reveal the talisman given to him by Grey Owl.

"There's this, but I've been advised to keep this safe and not part with it."

"But that's three thousand IMU's on your card, bang! Just like that."

"I'd rather keep it" Ben replied, wondering why he was even arguing with a robot.

"Why don't you have the pebbles in return for your hospitality, Jacob?" asked Connie.

"Because there's nothing I need. I fabricate all my own clothes, repair my own furniture and find the cheapest food on the market for any guests that visit."

"And what about your food?"

Jacob laughed.

"Robots don't need food, sweet cheeks."

Rita fainted. Connie glared at Jacob, who carried Rita to the room she shared with Connie and Jess and lay her on the bed.

"I'm a free robot. Some robots are free, some are slaves. Same with your kind, the humans."

" _Humans_?"

"Oh yes. You've already seen the state of the lowlife wandering around. When they're caught, if their crime's not serious enough for a lethal jab, they're put on the market. If they're sold they're either worked to death, or if their owners are softies, they become part of the families."

Connie shuddered.

"Hey, honey, it's progress. We have to have rules here in Andromeda, or we'd all have gone to the dogs a long time ago. The death sentence stands for murder, assault, kidnapping and stealing."

" _Stealing_?" Ben repeated, his face pale.

Dylan was going off Jacob more by every minute.

"You got it, friend. We have to cull the poor somehow."

"Jacob" Connie said coldly, "Thank you for your hospitality, but right now we're going to the Amy Whitehouse museum to get some Units. Once we have enough I think it's better that we rent our own accommodation."

She expected Jacob to get angry and tell her they could all get out now. Instead, he smiled lazily.

"Okay; let me know when you're sorted and I'll help you move your things."

The robots of Andromeda were insensitive in some ways, but they were also slow to anger.

Ben and Dylan sat on the grassy bank, watching the river flowing. Suddenly a deer ran into the nearby bushes and Ben grinned in delight.

Dylan gave a sigh:

"It's heartbreaking that the only way we can get close to nature now… people are going to lose so much."

Ben kissed him gently, then they reluctantly left the 'Green' section of the museum and went to join the others for an interview with Sir Anton Meyer, owner of the museum.

"Do you know how much these are worth?" asked Sir Anton, as he looked at the pebbles.

"We were told about five thousand IMU's for all of them."

Sir Anton laughed.

"Try adding twenty thousand to that figure! I'll split the cash up between all your credit accounts if that's agreeable."

They were now comfortably off, and, after finding a suitable residence – which took just fifteen minutes to process – to share for the duration of their stay in Andromeda – they ate out at one of the restaurants. The meal tasted as if it was well over a thousand calories but in fact came to a mere 200, including starter, dessert and wine.

The next afternoon they gave their lecture in the Jack Sparrow Centre, taking turns to speak. Rita found she was able to speak comfortably about the Native American Indian lifestyle. They earned another ten thousand IMU's for this, and then Senator Self came over to speak to them.

They were shocked at the Senator's attitude when they told him they'd like to give some of their earnings to help the poor.

"Friends, it's pointless squandering money on those who won't help themselves. Besides, there are ways for the poor to make a little extra here and there. You'll probably see that before you leave."

That evening they went into a bar that played old sixties music. Ben began to sing along to one of the tunes, and a sleazy-looking man came up to him.

"You have a good voice, friend. You lot are the time travellers, right?"

"We are."

"If you want to come down and provide some entertainment tomorrow, I've a little competition that I'm wanting to host. If you won you'd get fifteen thousand IMU's. Game?"

"Why not?" Ben smiled. Dylan was uncertain but let the younger man have his way.

"I have to tell you, friend, you're very likely to lose but hey, you'd get free drinks all night."

Ben's competitive spirit came to the fore.

"I'm up for it."

Dylan sighed, but wasn't too concerned. The IMU's would be useless to them all once they all left Andromeda anyway.

"Okay, come along to the Michael Buble Tribute Centre tomorrow night by eight pm. My name's Adam Trueman."

The Michael Buble Tribute Centre was full, but thanks to Trueman's help, Connie and friends had seats on the front row.

The audience was eager. Most of them more or less knew Ben was going to lose this contest and were eager to see someone

being humiliated. One or two wondered if there'd be a surprise for them. Dylan sat in the front row, his heart pounding. He

anticipated a disaster.

Trueman swaggered on stage in a shocking pink suit and announced:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a wonderful competition for you

tonight. From the twenty 5rst century, our singing time traveller, Ben Chiltern..."

Ben came out to take his bows, wearing a grey suit and blue shirt that brought out his "storm eyes" perfectly.

Unfortunately, the man who was announced next looked more than handsome, he looked nothing less than flawless.

"And our very own favourite... Rossignol!" bawled Trueman.

Rossignol swaggered out. He was tall, athletically built and his skin glowed with a healthy tan. His eyes were an almost emerald green,

his lips were perfectly formed. He was perfection.

To his shame, Dylan felt himself becoming very attracted to Rossignol. He forced himself to focus on Ben.

Ben began by singing a heartfelt version of 'Hallelujah' and the applause was appreciative if not ecstatic.

The ecastatic applause was reserved for Rossignol, who sang an aria from a recently-written opera, Abelard and Heloise.

It told of the misery of Abelard, who, because of a brutal trick of fate, has been forced to spend his life apart from his beloved Heloise, only corresponding with her by letters. Rossignol sang of these

letters now and his voice shook with emotion.

"How can I face the future without my beloved Heloise… ise… ise…ise…ise…"

Rossignol's voice began to screech in an ugly falsetto key. People covered their ears, screaming for somebody to turn off his mechanism, which his red-faced owner did.

Dylan loathed himself. How could he have been besotted, even for a few minutes, by this metal contraption?

Smiling with gritted teeth, Trueman paid the 20,000 IMU's into the new communal account that the travellers had opened.

"This is going towards the new wing at the JB Memorial Hospital" Ben announced, smiling.

Dylan couldn't wait to get Ben home and to lay his head on the younger man's chest, to feel his warmth and very human heartbeat.

The evening began to go downhill again when the travellers walked past Madonna Square Gardens.

People were cheering as two dogs, dressed in rags, were fighting over a piece of meat.

No… not dogs. Human beings. Two young men. And it was jeering onlookers who were throwing the food to them.

(


	10. Chapter 10

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TEN

"You b*stards! You absolute b*stards" Rita wept.

A man in the crowd turned on her.

"Look, little Ms Bleeding Heart, it makes sure they get fed, and if one of them happens to snuff it, it's one less to feed, innit?"

Rita was about to argue, but Connie held up her hand for Rita to be quiet. She'd heard one of the men speaking:

"Come on, Baby Brother, let's make it simple. You break my neck, you win, you get to eat tonight. I've had enough."

They were brothers. Connie suddenly yelled:

"Who organised this fight?"

Jeers and catcalls. Then someone she never expected to see again was at her side, shouting loudly:

"Lady says, who organised this fight? Answer her or I'll turn up the sound louder and bust all your eardrums."

"Adam Trueman."

"I should have known" snapped Connie. She began to shout something, and Jacob's metallic hand came over her mouth.

"Let me, sweetheart."

Trueman came striding over, glaring at Ben as he did so. Ben had ruined his night already.

"I'll give you every penny of that twenty thousand IMU's back if you just stop this fight. Now."

Trueman gawked at Connie but shouted:

"Okay! Fight's over. The lady says."

Jacob moved protectively in front of Connie, who added:

"Those two men who were fighting are coming to work with us, get it? So they won't cost your rotten city another Unit. Okay?"

"They'll slit your throat in your sleep by way of thanks, you silly cow-" Trueman blustered. Jacob cut in:

"They won't. I've scanned their minds. Believe me, they're grateful, however much sass they give you at first. Now I don't think you're safe on the flier, somebody might have a go at you for stopping their precious fight. "

Jacob counted the travellers quickly.

"I'll order you a private car that takes seven people."

As they waited, with Jacob standing guard, the travellers noticed that the two newcomers were hanging their heads, almost abjectly.

"You-you're really going to give us work?"

"Oh yes. Though quite where, I couldn't tell you yet. We'll find out tomorrow.

"Th-thank you."

The car arrived. The robotic driver snorted in disgust.

"I'm not taking these two. They'll stink."

"The lady's gonna give you money to cover that, aren't you, Connie?"

Connie found herself agreeing, then glared at Jacob. Who did he think he was? But then, he'd saved them from an angry crowd.

After thanking Jacob once more, they were en route to the apartment.

"So who are you?" Rita asked them.

"We're brothers. Caleb Knight and Ethan Hardy. Different dads", added Cal by way of an explanation.

"How did you get into that situation?" Dylan asked bluntly.

"Unemployment, eviction, starvation, desperation."

Connie made the driver stop at a cheap clothing store and came out with sweaters, trainers and jogging pants for Cal and Ethan, plus some basic clothing for everybody else.

They reached the apartment. The tip Connie paid him for the ride made him all but kneel and kiss her feet. Inside the apartment, the two brothers looked round almost adoringly. When Connie told them to go and shower, they more or less ran there and emerged holding on to their towels as if they were a lifeline.

"Get dressed and there'll be food and a hot drink for you."

"Um… we don't eat very nicely. We got out of the habit" said the younger one, Ethan.

"Dylan here eats like a grizzly bear anyway, so we won't mind."

"And Ben eats so prettily, like a little sugar plum fairy, that we get fed up of waiting for him."

"Ah, you two are mirror-biased!" Cal said as casually as if he were discussing the weather.

"I like that name" Ben smiled.

"You would, you soppy thing."

By the morning, the travellers had two loyal slaves for life in the two brothers. Trying to convince them that they weren't slaves was the hardest part.

"We can cook breakfast, Connie. What does everybody like?" Ethan asked next morning, excited as a puppy.

"We'll not be eating a big breakfast because we'll be travelling today. The machine tends to make people feel a little seasick the first time. I think we've all had enough of life in Andromeda."

"I hate Andromeda!" Cal said fervently.

"So if you two would go and mix some smoothies for us in the blender that would be ideal. Have whatever you like for yourselves."

Cal and Ethan would have loved to have gone for the full English, with unlimited toast, jam and honey afterwards, but settled for smoothies. They didn't want to blot their copybooks by being sick in front of their new friends. Ethan especially did not want to be sick in front of Jess. Besides, having been on the point of near-starvation, they realised overloading their guts could lead to some unpleasant cramps later.

After breakfast came the big decision.

"So no more visits to the future. How far back shall we go?"

"Just a minute."

Dylan looked grim.

"We need to tell these two the real reason why we're travelling and what's likely to happen to us when we go back."

"We hand over the stuff we've brought and Professor Hanssen lets us go."

"No, Rita. We hand over the stuff we've brought and then the henchmen kill the lot of us and Hanssen takes all the credit. Did anybody really think we were going to just be sent away with a big smile and a thank you when we got back?"

Ben blushed.

"Oh trust you, Mary bloody Poppins."

"So" Connie took a deep breath, "In that case, we might as well just keep travelling and let those thugs wait for us indefinitely. At least we survive and see a bit of life that way."

Rita began to weep silently. Connie went over to her.

"Come on, you silly sod. We'll look after you."

She stroked Rita's face and then realised. So, she thought cheerfully, I've had men in the past but right now I'm definitely mirror-biased. And I have a feeling this dizzy little bugger is, too.

"Hey, come on, Rita Skeeter. Where's that smile of yours? We're all in this together."

She put her arm round Rita's shoulders.

"Come on, let's delay travelling for a bit. I'll wash that blotchy little face for you."

It was a long time later when Ethan, thrilled to bits to be chosen, listened carefully to the instructions and then gently and carefully turned the machine backwards.

Cal went a little green and quipped:

"I think this is the seasickness…"

He crouched and put his head between his knees as the machine landed.

"Let's see where we are this time."

(


	11. Chapter 11

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER ELEVEN

(Just for a change, we'll have one of the most loved characters as a total villain in this next section. Not quite Game of Thrones, but I tried.)

Sir Charles Fairhead and his family and servants sat enjoying their banquet. At least the men were enjoying themselves. The hunt had gone well and they had venison, boar and goose. Later there would be fruit and nuts to eat.  
"Shame this bloody war's going to start with the Crusades, that'll stop the figs being brought for me from the Middle East", he sulked. His wife Margaret nodded, not wanting to incur her husband's wrath. Last time she had disagreed with him, she had been bruised for a week.  
"Never mind, we'll have a nice little war of our own soon", Sir Charles grinned as he drank his apple cider, "When we go and sack Griffith village."  
"Raze it to the ground! Kill them all!" cried the men.  
Margaret made no movement of agreement. She didn't understand why a whole village had to be slaughtered because it was suspected that Sir Joshua Griffith, who owned Griffith village, had carried off Ethelfritha, Charles's sister. Ethelfrith had disappeared one night and Sir Charles was convinced Sir Joshua had her - or worse, had murdered her. It seemed totally unjust that the old and infirm, the women and children, would be burned to death. Sir Charles' men would fight those of the village, and then set fire to it before the villagers had time to escape.

She focused on what her husband was bawling, to take her mind of the villagers' suffering.

"Where are those minstrels?"

Sir Charles banged his goblet down on the table.

He always got tense before a musical performance. It could have been called pre-minstrel tension.

A nervous, grovelling servant entered.

"Sir, there are people without who wish to speak to you."

"Are they rich or poor?"

"Rich, Sir. They have precious stones."

"Bring them in."

The travellers, wearing suitable clothing for the Medieval period, approached, led by Connie.

"I don't deal with women. Which is your leader?" Sir Charles snapped.

Connie fought her urge to give him some good feminist fist, and motioned to Dylan.

"I am Sir Keogh. We have jewellery to trade."

Sir Charles appraised the jewellery and then said angrily:

"Where are those ruddy minstrels? It's too bad, on the night before we go to destroy Griffith village."

"Why should you destroy a village?"

"Because we believe that the vile Sir Joshua Griffith has kidnapped or even murdered my sister Ethelfritha, so tomorrow our army rides to the village, slays all the men and then burns the remaining villagers."

Connie put her hand over Rita's mouth, knowing her reaction to this. Ben was pale and his face was set. Not a good sign, thought Dylan. Sure enough:

"And what would you do if you if you killed all those innocent people and found that they hadn't, in fact, killed your sister?"

Only the jewellery offered as trade saved Ben from being beheaded on the spot. Sir Charles knew that these people were rich and powerful, so they needed to be murdered in secret and not executed in public.

"Where do you come from with such liberal views?" he sneered.

Dylan said:

"From a distant land where we believe in peace. But, Sir, let me make a bargain. Tomorrow I shall ride out with my squire Benjamin, my wife Constance, and our servants. If we return within a month with your sister, you will spare the village. If we return empty-handed you may do as you will with us."

At least it bought the village another month of life at least.

Sir Charles was intrigued by this plan. And there were always insolent servants to hack to death or maidens to beat black and blue to keep the court amused for a month.

"A pox upon those minstrels, I'll rip them apart…"

Sir Charles hushed his diatribe as Ben bowed and stepped forward.

"Sir, may it please you to hear me sing? I have a lovely ballad that's meant to be sung by a lovesick maiden who has heard of your exploits."

"Sing, boy. If you don't please me you won't have lungs to sing with afterwards."

"F*cking try it" thought Dylan but wisely kept quiet, as Ben sang:

"When sweet Sir Charlie Fairhead came riding through the town,

The dads locked up their daughters, and pulled the shutters down, but

Charlie is my darling, my darling, my darling, Charlie is my darling, oh how we love the man.

Charlie is my darling, my darling, my darling, Charlie is my darling, best of the Fairhead clan."

"If you come back empty-handed from your quest, I shall let you live, boy, and sing for me alone."

Sir Charles threw a gold piece to Ben, who handed it to Dylan with a bow.

Meanwhile, Cal and Ethan were actually full, having been stuffing meat and glugging beer ever since they'd been asked to join the banquet. If it wasn't for the sinister surroundings, they'd have been very contented.

The next day the travellers got another nasty shock.

"The lady Rita stays with us until your return. If you bring back my sister, she shall be returned to you whole. If you do not bring back my sister, she will be handed out to you all in pieces."

Rita, predictably, fainted. Lady Margaret and her maidservants carried her gently to a bedroom.

The impulsive Caleb spoke out:

"Please take me and spare the lady."

"No thank you" replied Sir Charles, as if he were declining a piece of fruit, "It's more fun to kill girls. They scream more."

Dylan, Connie and the others had no idea where to start the quest, but were willing to see it through for not only Rita's sake but for the lives of everybody in Griffith village.

Rita, predictably, fainted. She was carried away at a sign from the Lady Margaret.

Meanwhile, Cal and Ethan were actually full, having been stuffing meat and glugging beer ever since they'd been asked to join the banquet. If it wasn't for the sinister surroundings, they'd have been very contented.

The obvious thing to do was to start in Griffith Village itself. Ben and Dylan expected a hostile reception but were pleasantly surprised by the courtesy of the Lord of the Manor, Sir Martin of the Ashford.  
"We haven't seen Ethelfritha, and I can assure you, Sirs, we did not kidnap her or harm her in any other way", said Sir Martin during yet another banquet in which only Cal and Ethan were able to eat..  
"Would you know where we could start our search? We are anxious that your village is saved from slaughter", Connie asked Sir Martin, adding honestly, "And Sir Charles has my lady prisoner as well."  
She tried to ignore the expression of pity that crossed Sir Martin's face at this comment.  
"Well, there is one place but many are afeared to even go through the town, let alone the castle", mused Sir Martin.  
"Please tell us", persisted the travellers.

"The next town is called Holby; and therein liesDenham castle which they say is haunted", Sir Martin replied. He added:

"But friends, you and your squires are surely not planning to walk there? What happened to your steed?"

Connie was used to improvising ever since she'd first taken off in the time machine, and said:

"Ah, Sir, that's the thing. My ladies, my friend and I were bathing in the river, when thieves came and stole our horses and our clothes. It was my good fortune

that I swam with a pouch around my neck which contained valuable jewellery, which I was able to exchange for shelter and clothing for us both."

Well, that excuse had worked for the guy in Puss In Boots, thought Dylan sourly.

"You are trying to save our village. The great Lord Joshua Griffith would reward you, had he not gone to the Crusades, and I gladly carry on tradition in his name. The least I can do for you is give you the pick of our stables..."

"Alas Sir", said Liar Connie, "Since the shock of the theft, I lost part of my memory and know no longer how to ride a horse."

"Fret not", beamed Sir Martin, "My groom Toby, a rough but kind lad, will teach you to ride all over again.

The travellers expected sore butts in the near future.


	12. Chapter 12

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWELVE

Connie was pleasantly surprised by how quickly she learned to ride a horse. Her steed was a gentle mare called Snowstorm, who seemed to take to her straight away.

Ben, being Ben, fell in love with all the horses. They didn't all love him back but eventually he bonded with a black horse called Midnight, and seemed to be less accident-prone when riding.

Dylan, sadly, didn't do as well. He had several attempts at riding until finally he managed to stay on the back of an old horse called Basil.

Poor Ethan would have come last, had this been a competition. He eventually managed to ride on a donkey called Looby. As Ethan was medium height and slim, the donkey didn't feel overburdened and knew Ethan was a pushover for carrots.

Ethan became just a little sulky when Connie decided that Jess should ride behind Cal on his horse, Warrior.

"You don't want her falling off Looby" explained Connie.

"I don't know why you're making Jess go anyway. She's better off staying behind and waiting for us."

Connie lost her temper.

"Really? Did you not hear how that brute threatened Rita? You seriously want Jess to stay behind with that lot?"

Ethan saw her point and apologised nicely.

Alas, there was to be a lot of apologising on Ethan's part later.

Next day they reluctantly said farewell to kind Sir Martin.

"Aye" he commented, "'Tis a pity that such an evil man has a lovely lady for a wife. I fear for Lady Margaret sometimes."

The tears in his eyes spoke volumes.

The party rode for a while and then Ethan cajoled:

"I'm terribly thirsty and there's an inn."

Maybe the party should have been warned by the fact that the inn was called the Saracen's Head. But Connie realised that the group needed to rest and that it was a long way yet to Denham castle.

The innkeeper was attracted to Connie and spent a long time chatting to her, while his pretty daughters, Ruth and Aoife, enjoyed talking to Dylan, Ben and Cal. For a short while they lost sight of Ethan, but they saw him happily drinking with men in Crusader uniforms.

Eventually the group excused themselves, ready to move on.

They were just in time to see Ethan being dragged away by the men in uniforms.

"Mrs Beauchamp! Help!"

Connie and her friends hurried after them and learned the full story.

Ethan had naively drank the recruitment ale and had unwittingly signed up for life in the army. It looked as if Ethan was off to the Crusades.

Connie was tempted to leave him to his fate, but the pain in Cal's eyes stopped her.

"I'll volunteer instead" Cal said earnestly.

"You've volunteered your life for his before, haven't you?" Connie asked shrewdly.

"He's my baby brother!"

Connie did allow Cal to ride after the soldiers and he seemed to be riding for a long time until he heard:

"We are going off to war,

Give the Saracens what for.

Break their heads and break their hearts,

Eat their food and bonk their tarts."

Ethan was snivelling in a corner at the makeshift camp as Cal tied up his horse and approached the soldiers.

"Sorry, mate, draft-dodger here drank the recruitment wine. He's ours now."

"He drank in error. I beg you, let him come back with me. We are on a quest to save a lady."

"Which lady?" asked the dubious Sir Leonard Lyons.

"Lady Ethelfritha Fairhead."

"Blimey, mate, you've got guts, I'll say that for you. But we need compensation for the wine he's chugged."

Cal handed over a golden pendant, the last of the artefacts they had for trading.

"That's a beauty! Done!"

Sir Leonard pushed Ethan over to Cal, who gave his irritating young brother a punch.

"Could you tell us who's holding Lady Ethelfritha and where she is?"

"I can tell you that it's not a 'who', it's a 'what' that has her. Begin with Denham Castle. Must dash."

And with that, the Crusaders marched off, still singing their obnoxious song.

Connie couldn't help herself. She boxed Ethan's ears.

"That's for being so greedy with that wine. Thanks to you we're a day and a half behind on our quest. And Sir Charles has Rita – MY Rita – prisoner!"

"I'm sorry."

"Oh you will be, Ethan. If Rita dies I shall kill myself and then come for you." On seeing Ethan's smirk she added:

"Whichever way round works!"

At first Ethan wanted to laugh at this, then a vision of a ghostly, bloody, vengeful Connie steadied him.

Dylan and Ben silently took in the 'My Rita' comment.

"Okay, you've had your punishment, we'll let it drop but we need to get on."

Connie even ruffled Ethan's hair; he did look genuinely devastated by what he'd done.

They reached Denham Castle by the next evening. They were all exhausted and none of them felt that they had the strength to climb through an open window.

Then, to their amazement, they noticed that the drawbridge was down. They walked in quite easily to a room where a banquet was taking place.

"No wine" Cal said sharply to Ethan.

Then the whole party gasped in nausea and horror. The knights and ladies began to writhe in pain and after far, far too long, collapsed and died.

In the corner, a vicious laugh came from somebody hidden by a curtain.

Poison. Mass murder.

Everybody clung together, then feared for their own lives as the corpses became skeletons which surrounded the travellers threateningly.

Ben's mind stabbed about for a phrase he'd once heard, a phrase that helped lay ghosts to rest.

"In the name of Jesus, how can we help you?" he cried. The phrase was close enough.

The skeletons backed away and became ghosts again, looking as they did before the massacre.

"Sir Charles Fairhead murdered us all for nothing but a cruel game," one of the ladies said.

"Spread the news of our murder far and wide for us. Because here's the really vile bit – Wathelbert here was hung, drawn and quartered for the crime and he was innocent."

A sad young man in the corner nodded.

"I was. I'm Sir Wathelbert Kent – at least, I was."

"So can you all rest in peace now?" Dylan asked.

"They can. I have a bone to pick with that murdering Fairhead."

"He has my lady friend prisoner and will kill her within the month if we don't rescue his sister and take her back to Fairhead Castle," Connie told them.

"You can destroy Fairhead and save your lady friend if you can trick him into summoning my ghost" Wathelbert told Connie.

"But we should rescue his sister, she's done nothing wrong." Ben was adamant.

"Ethelfritha is a week and a half's journey from here, then you would need to get back again. But don't fret, it can be done if you don't waste time in between. She's up in the Garcia caves and someone – or should I say something – is guarding her."

"What?"

"Think winged. Think claws. Think fire breathing."

"A DRAGON?" Dylan might have been forgiven for wondering what insane world he had stepped into.

Ethan, however, was looking thrilled.

"We did Dragon Studies before our school had to close through lack of funds. Hey, a real dragon!"

"You can persuade it not to devour any of us" Dylan snapped.

"Well, I hate to break this up but my friends here want to move on, and you have a quest to fulfil," Wathelbert reminded them.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you" said the kind Ben.

"Water under the bridge, lad. You've all freed us and we're grateful."

All the ghosts except Wathelbert vanished in a silver light.

"Now I'll point you towards the Garcia caves, and don't stop for anything to eat or drink."

He suddenly vanished.

"Oh bugger, that wasn't supposed to happen. Just keep moving to the left and you'll see the signs for the caves. Now, about that dragon…"

But it was too late. He'd vanished.

Leaving the travellers to face their most frightening mission yet.

(


	13. Chapter 13

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"I'm hungry!" wailed Ethan.

Connie glared at him,

"I'm hungry, I'm terrified for Rita, but complaining won't get us anywhere. We just have to climb into those caves and…"

"Let me stop you right there, Connie."

Connie turned her rage on Dylan but realised what he was saying was logical.

"It's better if the men climb up and rescue Ethelfritha from that dragon. What she'll need when she's back down here is somebody to talk to, and, without being sexist, ladies open up to each other more."

"I hate it when you're right" growled Connie.

She patted a mossy stone.

"Come on Jess, girlie chat. See you soon, guys – hopefully."

The men finally got up to the Garcia caves. Ethan wanted to turn tail and go back but was too knackered to do that. Cal supported him, while Ben and Dylan helped each other.

"Right, Ethan. You did dragon studies at school. How do we handle this?"

"The thing to remember" said Ethan, whose voice had taken on a schoolteacher quality, "Is that dragons don't attack for no reason. It's only when people try to steal whatever treasure the dragon's guarding that it turns mean. I'd risk annoying that dragon if it was guarding food right now."

Dylan was tempted to smash his fist into Ethan's face and shout "Eat that!" but he remembered that the brothers had suffered near-starvation.

"If we get through this alive, Ethan, I'll buy you the biggest feed you've ever had."

"With what? You admitted we were broke" grumbled Hungry Hardy.

Dylan smiled.

"With those gold coins Wathelbert said we could take from Denham castle."

Ethan grinned and almost ran over to the cave. He made a high-pitched sound.

"Dragon whispering" he explained.

While Ethan was dragon whispering Dylan mouthed:

"You okay?" at Ben. The latter nodded and smiled wearily. Dylan noticed how many times Ben just shut up and got on with things.

Suddenly Ethan ran back, there was a massive roar and out of the cave came…

….An angry female who had a look of Sir Charles.

"Who's tormenting my dragon?" she snapped.

"Ethelfritha?" asked Ben politely.

"Yes. Why the hell-"

"Aren't you the dragon's prisoner?" Cal asked.

"You stupid man, how could anything the size of Morpeth keep me prisoner?"

Then she said wearily:

"My pisshead of a brother's sent you hasn't he?"

They all nodded.

"Got any food?" said Ethan, seizing the moment.

They went nervously into the cave behind Ethelfritha and gave an involuntary "Awwww!"

Morpeth wasn't quite a baby dragon, more of a toddler dragon. He blinked in confusion as he pattered from one newcomer to another.

As Ben gently stroked the dragon's head, he thought that it was Morpeth who'd been carried away by Ethelfritha, not the other way round.

"Please" he said, "Will you come back with us all to Fairhead castle?"

"No! I'd either have to leave Morpeth here or let my nasty brother kill him for a joke."

"Look, we'll find somewhere safe to hide your dragon. But if we don't take you back safely, not only our lady friend but all the people in Griffith Village will be burned alive."

Ethelfritha sighed. Then she growled:

"Oh all right. But make sure you hide Morpy well, and that I can find him."

"We will."

Ethelfritha gave Cal a haughty look and then snapped at Ethan:

"Did you say you were hungry?"

He nodded. She ran back in and came out with half a loaf of bread.

"Eat that while we're climbing down. We can't wait any longer" Dylan told Ethan.

"Aren't you afraid, Rita?" Margaret asked gently as she combed Rita's hair out for her.

"Not any more" Rita said sadly but calmly, "If they're not back by now it means they're probably dead. If Connie's dead I want to be with her. And I don't want those soldiers to come up here and drag me downstairs. I want to walk down on my own."

"Right, bitch, sneered Charles, "Your friends haven't returned; time's up. Tomorrow Griffith Village and all in it will be burned. As for you, we'll see how long we can take to kill you."

Margaret came forward.

"A drink, sweetheart, to give you courage."

But Charles had already knocked the goblet of swift, painless poison out of Rita's hand. He sent Margaret sprawling with a blow across her face and laughed.

"We'll start with a finger, I think-"

"Charlie!" Stop that at once!" screamed a voice from the hallway.

Ethelfritha stood there with the travellers.

"We have brought her back unharmed. You need to fulfil your side of the bargain and let us leave in peace" Connie told Sir Charles.

"Well, a bargain's a bargain, but you must fulfil all the conditions. Which one of you rescued my sister?"

"All of us." Cal told him.

"In that case, I choose you. You marry my sister tonight."

"Then will I be allowed to leave with the others? If I take her with me?"

"No! You see, you're trying to worm out of your duties already. Bargain cancelled", Sir Charles crowed spitefully.

"By the way" Dylan said, desperately playing for time before the inevitable bloodbath, "Sir Wathelbert Kent sends his regards and says you should fear him."

"Sir Wathelbert! I fear no Sir Wathelbert", sneered Charles.

"In that case you'll not mind summoning him." Ethan spoke up.

The colour drained from Sir Charles's face but then he sniggered:

"As you wish."

He bawled loudly:

"Wathelbert Kent, show yourself! I dare thee!"

Nothing.

Rita, Connie and Jess clung together.

"Kill the lot of them. Nice and slowly; hack the women up first" shouted Sir Charlie, then held up his hand.

"Wait. Not the singing boy. I'll keep him around for my pleasure."

"No you won't" Ben replied, sounding calm though fear was turning his blood to ice, "If they die, I die."

"Have it your way" smirked Sir Charles, and, as the women screamed and Dylan groaned, drove his sword into Ben's gut.

(


	14. Chapter 14

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FOURTEEN

At least Sir Charles would have plunged the sword into Ben's gut but ended up barely grazing him with it. Most of the sword was buried in a grinning Wathelbert, who had not only turned up just in time but had decided on a little extra torture for the villainous Sir Charles.

Being immortal, Wathelbert had been able to search past and future for an appropriate song and had finally hit on one that was both memorable and irritating. (A/N: Apologies as I have used this tune before but I think I've done the words more justice this time round.)

And he sang it, with his foul corpse-like breath, into Sir Charles's face as the latter shook like a jelly and pissed himself with a total lack of dignity.

"Oh I was hung and quartered too,

All for a crime I did not do.

It hurt a lot, I'm telling you.

I really wasn't happy.

I know that I-I-I will have some fun with you.

You may not die-ay-ay, but boy will life be crappy.

Upside down, bouncing off the ceiling,

Kick your ass, just to hear you squealing,

You're the sod who summoned me,

Now you'll go crazy 'cause you won't know where I'll be.

Your grandad was a kind old git,

But as a Knight, you just aren't fit.

So now you'll be as scared as sh*t,

You're stuck with me forever.

You'll see why I-I-I want my revenge on you.

Each time you cry-y-y, I'll feel so bloody clever.

In your bath, coming up your plughole,

In your bed, peeing in your lughole,

You're the fool who summoned me,

And you'll go crazy for I'll never set you free!"

Sir Charles's knights and soldiers – so much for courage – fled screaming, while Wathelbert closed in on Charles, snarling:

"You'll never escape me, sh*thead."

Sir Charles realised the game was up and slit his own throat.

Wathelbert glided after the fleeing soldiers and yelled:

"Don't any of you dare go to Griffith Village or I'll torture you all for eternity! Get right away from here, you scum-serving brutes!"

He turned to a shaking Lady Margaret.

"Well, Lady Margaret, it seems you're a widow. And as this group-" he indicated the travellers – "Were victorious, the castle falls to them by default. I'm sure they'll let you continue to make your home here. Now I'll finish dragging this miserable creature's remains to a dung heap, and his soul to hell."

With one final chorus of his song and a high-kicking routine added because he was a show-off, Wathelbert was gone.

The group hugged each other, unable to believe they were going to live.

Dylan shook Ben angrily.

"Dylan, he's been stabbed!" Rita gasped.

"Only a little prick", Ben said cheerfully.

"Yes, I know you are. Why in hell didn't you agree to that scumbag's offer of singing for him? I nearly had a cardiac arrest when he stabbed you."

"And live without you all? Do you think I'd have wanted to?" Ben snapped.

Dylan couldn't argue with that, but had something else to think about when Lady Margaret knelt before him.

"No, get up, dear. You're fine."

She continued to kneel.

"To save Rita from a hideous death I gave her poison, but my vile husband knocked it from her hand. But If I had been successful I would have killed her for nothing."

Dylan glared.

"There is only one punishment for a crime like that" he said coldly.

Ben felt sick. Surely-?

"Lady Margaret Fairhead, you shall be taken tomorrow into exile. You must go to Griffith Village and ask Sir Martin of the Ash to look after you now."

He added:

"And seeing as this group has no need for this castle, and we shall be leaving tomorrow, it is up to him if he wants to take residence here with you and make it a happier place."

He couldn't resist adding:

"Gotcha!"

Lady Margaret wept for joy. To be given to the man she had loved and lost was what she had secretly dreamed of. She wept on the embarrassed Dylan's chest.

Ethelfritha shattered the silence.

"What about my dragon?" she bawled.

"We'll show you where he's hidden shortly."

Cal, feeling he ought to be nice and at least ask, said:

"Do you still want to be married to me?"

"Well, YES. I want to travel with you and have a good time."

Cal forced a smile. Everybody felt so sorry for him, knowing he was too nice to get out of the marriage. Then Connie spoke:

"One moment, Ethelfritha. People change, and it's best to err on the side of caution. How about a long engagement?"

"Oh, all right. As long as we get out of here tomorrow."

"Why not now?" asked Ethelfritha.

"Because we want to EAT!" Ethan yelled.

"I don't know about you, Ethan, but after what we witnessed at Denham Castle, it might be better to go to an inn for food and lodgings tonight. There's all this treasure we own now, and Sir Charles could have left us a little parting gift."

"See?" Wathelbert showed Charles a vision of the group deciding not to eat at Fairhead Castle, "They can read you like a book. Right… saddle up for hell."

The next day, after which Ethan felt almost too full to walk, the group found the machine again.

Connie was not pleased at Dylan's suggestion that, wherever they landed, the women should stay inside to be safe.

"We could be just as vulnerable in here as outside."

"Supposing Morpeth gets lost?" nagged Ethelfritha.

"Well, why don't you stay in here with him, sweetheart?" Cal asked reasonably.

"He needs fresh air and exercise, you selfish thing."

"Okay… where to this time then?" Connie broke in, "Forwards or backwards?"

Fate decided for them. A storm had been brewing all morning, and as Connie activated the dial, she shot backwards from a mild electric shock. The time machine shot back of its own accord.

Then it landed, moving with gentle normality once more.

Morpeth gave a little squeal.

"Now you've upset Morpy" whined Ethelfritha, "What if he runs off?"

Cal searched inside one of the drawers and found a long piece of thick cord.

"Look, a lead for him."

"That could choke him" screamed Ethelfritha.

"Oh please your f*cking self, then" snapped the normally gentle Cal as he followed the others out of the machine.

The climate was just right, not too cold or warm. They seemed to be in a narrow alley.

Then they heard the shout:

"Make way for the great Cleopatra!"

Ancient Egypt. Could be worse.

And then it was, as the shout went up:

"Hail to the honoured guest of the great Julius Caesar!"

Ancient Rome. Ampitheatres. Christians versus lions. Asassination plots. Oh b*gger.

(


	15. Chapter 15

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FIFTEEN

(A/N: As I've just shown the kindest member of the ED staff as a villain, time to redress the balance and show the more benign side of a famous character from history.)

"I don't know about you but I'd like to see Caesar and Cleopatra for real" Ben said.

"What kind of food do they have here?" Ethan was wondering. As usual.

"We shouldn't look too out of place here" Connie said.

"No but we'll look like foreigners. The Romans could be nasty to foreigners"

Cal put in his spoke.

"What country hasn't been?" Dylan snapped.

They followed the jostling crowds and saw Julius Caesar, an austere-looking middle-aged man, being carried aloft on a litter. Behind him came Cleopatra, the legendary 'Serpent of the Nile". She wasn't actually that beautiful but had charisma. She was smiling at the cheering crowds and still managing to look as if they were all beneath her.

The slaves, to their vast relief, were able to set down the litters as the Great General of Rome and the Queen of Egypt stood in a hastily prepared space to address the crowds.

Then, suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Cal saw it. A man with a dagger aimed at Caesar, poised to throw it.

Without thinking, Cal ran forward and pushed Caesar out of the way.

And knocking himself right into harm's way.

"He attacked the great Caesar! Crucify him and sell his companions as slaves!" bawled an onlooker.

Cal watched in horror as Connie and the others were dragged away, leaving Morpeth gibbering in terror.

He flung himself at Caesar's feet.

Now, good reader, you must be thinking 'that Tanith Panic has not explained something. How can they be speaking in, and understanding, Latin when they're from the 21st century?' I shall tell you.

Professor Hanssen, being an evil genius, had programmed an instant translation device into the card that went with the time machine. One member of the group carried it with them at all times, and fortunately Cal had it on him that day.

Just as one of the crowd was poking poor Morpeth with a stick, Caesar spoke:

"Fools! This dagger-" he pulled the offending dagger from the wall – "Was meant to slay me, and this man saved me. He shall dine at my villa and henceforth, anybody who lays a finger on him shall be thrown to the lions.

"Please, Great Caesar, they've taken my friends away as slaves and frightened my creature."

"After those fools! Behead any of them who lays a finger on one of his friends, and bring those friends back here safely! And lift this little creature on to my litter."

"What is your name?" he asked Cal.

"Caleb Knight, I'm from – um - Saxon country beyond the sea."

"Caleb, you and your friends shall live at my expense."

The slavers were dragged back by the crowd, while Connie and friends, now VIP's, were escorted back to Cal, and were happy to stand near the translation device once more.

"Ethan, are you all okay? Connie? Rita?"

"They pushed us around a bit but that's about all", Connie said.

"I notice you don't ask if I'm okay" whined Ethelfritha.

"Oh this is indeed wonderful. We do not have such thrilling events in Egypt!" purred Cleopatra.

"These slavers must be punished; behead them at once!"

Once again Cal bowed.

"If you do that, Great General, their suffering is over. Let them live and become slaves themselves, I beg you."

"Wise words, it shall be thus, and they shall pay in sweat for their crime."

Everybody else in the party was now being placed on litters and carried off to Caesar's Villa. Dylan hoped Ben wouldn't fall off.

A little later, Connie found out that if everybody touched the key to the machine, they would have a basic knowledge of the language spoken in wherever they travelled to, and this would last for twelve hours. Everybody lined up for instant Latin Class.*

Some time later, the travellers were sitting at the table of the Great Emperor himself and enjoying dinner. Especially Ethan. Meanwhile, Morpeth, who had been given a little garden of his own to play in, was cheerfully snoring and breaking wind, his little gut full.

During the banquet a soldier entered and saluted:

"Great Caesar, we have found the man who tried to kill you."

The man was dragged in; he was terrified.

"Now, Caleb, you shall be rewarded indeed for your swift action. This man shall fight the lions in the great arena and you shall have a seat at the front for your courage!"

Caleb didn't feel hungry after that though Ethan worked his way through at least one more chicken and several grapes.

The next day was revolting for most of the travellers. The ladies had been excused on Caleb's lie to Cleopatra that it was not a suitable 'time of the moon' for the ladies to see such horrors. Ethelfritha, however, had said that there was nothing wrong with her and had proudly taken her seat beside Cal. She watched the whole event with relish in her eyes, as the lions soon tore the weeping man apart.

Dylan was as white as a sheet, Ethan looked green in the face, and Ben fainted. He was carried out by two slaves.

"What's wrong, darling?" Dylan whispered. Ben had hardly eaten a bite during dinner and had left the room in the villa to be physically ill in the yard twice. Dylan had wished Ethelfritha were a man just for a few moments when she had bawled to Ben: "Don't you dare be ill near Morpeth and upset him, you weakling!"

"It's… all that cruelty. That poor man…"

"I know, sweetheart, but he was an assassin."

Ben glared, which was very un-Ben.

"Even an assassin doesn't deserve a death like that. It was vile, Dylan. But then I'm a weakling, aren't I?"

"Don't you dare believe what that butch brat told you! Ben, you're strong where it matters. Here."

He put his hand on Ben's heart and felt it thumping unevenly.

"A weakling wouldn't have turned down an offer to be a court minstrel and be safe, Benjie."

"Yeah" said Ben, a weak smile on his face, "And you shook the crap out of me for it."

"I was out of order. But now I'm going to hug the crap out of you."

Meanwhile, Ethan, having needed fresh air to calm down, went in search of the room he was unofficially sharing with Jess. A hand snaked out and pulled him into a room on the way.

"You're gorgeous, Ethan. Are all Saxons as handsome as you group?"

Ethan wanted to answer Cleopatra but was too overawed by her.

She stretched like a cat and walked over to him, stroking his chest.

"I am in love with Lady Jessica" he said staunchly.

"What has love to do with this? This is pleasure!"

Just as Cleopatra was moving her hand just south of Ethan's belly, which was still firm despite the feasts he'd enjoyed lately, in burst Caesar himself.

"So this is how you betray your host! Saxon, do you realise that such an act with my Queen is punishable by death?"

Ethan went pale.

"However, I am prepared to overlook it. I have a great regard for your pretty lady Jessica. Give her to me for the night and you will be spared."

Ethan stood firm.

"She is not my property to give, great Caesar, so I must decline."

Ethan's heart was pounding so hard that he hoped he had a coronary right there and things would just be over.

But it looked as if that wasn't going to happen.

*(Yes it's far- fetched. It's fantasy. At least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

(


	16. Chapter 16

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER SIXTEEN

To Ethan's amazement, Caesar and Cleopatra fell into each others' arms laughing.

"You win, my Emperor! You said that Ethan the Saxon would be faithful to his lady even at the point of death, and I said he would betray her to save his own skin!"

Cleopatra handed Caesar a huge ring.

So you terrorised me for a bet? Thanks a bunch, thought Ethan, and then, glaring at Cleopatra for a moment, he thought:

"Asp's coming to get you, babe."

He was sorry as soon as he'd thought it but it was too late to un-think it.

"One of my senators commented that the Saxons seemed like a group of milksops and I wanted to prove him wrong. Thanks to you, I have, and tomorrow you shall enjoy a completely different kind of entertainment at my expense" Caesar told Ethan.

"Now go back and keep your pretty little lady warm before I change my mind about taking her from you" he teased, and Ethan, bowing quickly, hurried off to Jess, who was unhappy.

Ethan soon comforted her and reassured her that they would try to leave Rome as soon as possible.

There was no such harmony in the next room, where Ethelfritha was haranguing Cal.

"I'm not deserting the others to stay here, it's far too violent." Cal stood his ground.

"Miseryguts. It's good for Morpeth too, he loves his little garden. And that Ben's a real wuss, fainting like that. I could tell he was gay as soon as I saw him, the great twerp-"

"If you use the word 'gay' as an insult again, the engagement's off" Cal snapped at her. Which shut her up.

The next night's entertainment, at an Ampitheatre, pleased them all, even the bloodthirsty Ethelfritha.

It was called 'When did you last see your Granny' and the chief actor was a clever young man called Tobias De Silvanus.

It was the story of a foolish young man who can never see his lady friends alone because his grandmother is constantly spying on them. She is abducted by comical pirates led by Jacqus Sparrus. After many comical misadventures on the way to save Granny, who is being trained as a warrior by the pirates, our young hero stumbles home in despair, only to find Granny waiting for him with a stout whip.

Afterwards they went to an inn and during the banter and drinking, Cal noticed Ethelfritha had slipped away to talk to a muscular but stupid-looking young man.

"Marcus Catullus" their host for the evening, Dolabella, informed them, "He likes all… er… aspects of love, if you get my meaning."

He smiled at them, but particularly at Ben and Dylan, as he continued:

"Homosexuality is not punished here, but we do encourage discretion about it."

Ben and Dylan immediately felt more relaxed. They had wondered what would happen to them if they were caught being extra friendly with each other. Rita and Connie were giving each other secret smiles, and the others realised the situation.

Ethelfritha came over, with a sweeter smile than any of them could have thought possible.

"Caleb, darling, I have a headache. Marcus here is going to escort me home."

When they arrived back at the villa there was a note from Ethelfritha:

"Caleb, I don't belong to you, so I'm going to live with Marcus. I want to stay in Rome."

Cal almost did a cartwheel for joy. Then he saw the end of the note.

"By the way, we've taken Morpeth with us."

Everybody would miss the little dragon.

The next day they were walking through the market square, after a breakfast of figs and honey. Connie had the 'swag bag' full of precious stones to trade, and the key to the machine on her. Suddenly they heard a hearbreaking squealing above the babble of a crowd of people.

They hurried to the scene, Ben running before the others.

Morpeth was being tortured by the crowd. His wings were broken and he had lost his sense of balance.

As Ben pushed through, a stone hit Morpeth on the side of the head and he collapsed, squealing piteously.

"Get out of the way before the Emperor is told of this!" Ben yelled.

Already there were nervous mutterings of 'The Saxons… the Emperor's new friends… we're in the sh*t…" and the crowd dispersed, all but one small boy who was crying in genuine remorse.

As Dylan and the others caught up with Ben, he was cradling Morpeth, stroking him tenderly. Morpeth was having difficulty keeping his eyes open and finally collapsed on his side in Ben's arms, squeaking faintly. It looked as if the little creature was dying.

"That bitch and her brainless stud must have abandoned him. I wish I could get hold of her, I'd choke her and risk the consequences" Connie wept.

"This is my fault, I should have kept a closer watch on her" Cal sighed.

"You were tricked into becoming her fiancé, Cal" Ben reassured him.

He shouted to the small boy:

"You, come over here!"

The little boy ran over and, seeing the look on Ben's face, immediately raised his arms to shield himself from a beating. A look passed between Ben and the others, they'd seen that action before now and then in the ED from victims of violence.

"I'm not going to harm you. I want you to run to the best surgeon in Rome, and tell him that the Saxon's little creature has been harmed. Tell him we can pay well. Will you do that?"

The little boy nodded earnestly.

"And I'm not to be beaten?"

"You need to learn from what you've seen today, so no, you won't be beaten. But hurry now!"

The boy sped off.

Ben turned to Connie.

"Sorry for taking over there."

She patted his arm.

"Ben, I wish I'd thought of that. Poor little Morpeth."

Rita kept stroking Morpeth's head with gentle fingers. Then the little boy ran up with a man who bowed to them.

"Greetings, my friends. I am Iainus, keeper of the Emperors' menagerie. Lucius here came looking for a doctor, but I thought I could be of better service. May I…? Oh yes, a fine little specimen.

Iainus held Morpeth so carefully that everybody felt more hopeful.

"This is for you, for being so fast" Connie told the little boy, Lucius, and gave him another coin.

"The gentleman has already paid me" said Lucius shyly.

"I know. That's for hurrying back so quickly."

"And I'm really not to be beaten?"

"Are you beaten often, Lucius?"

The little boy looked as if he wanted to say more, then bowed and ran away.

Nobody slept much that night; Connie and Rita lay in each others' arms, finding comfort in each other. Dylan soothed Ben, and Ethan and Jess made love slowly and passionately. Nobody, even Ethan, felt like breakfast until they saw Iainus sitting at Caesar's table.

"Good morning, your little creature is doing well."

"But I thought he was dying!" gasped Ben.

"It seemed that way, but dragons are strong, even the babies. Morpeth will be fine once his wing heals, and I've put a soothing ointment on his head."

Suddenly everybody felt like eating again. Especially Ethan.

They stood by the small enclosure that Iainus had made for Morpeth. The little dragon slept quite peacefully on a bed of fresh straw.

Connie handed over a large pile of gold coins.

"No, my lady, no charge. But I do have to ask all of you to make a choice about Morpeth."

Hearts sank again. Would the little dragon have to be put to sleep?

Iainus, however, had something completely different in mind.

"You are travellers from a foreign country, and must be nobility because of your choice to wear your own style of clothing instead of togas.

Ethan wanted to say that they didn't wear togas because they looked like nighties, but wisely kept that to himself.

"Morpeth needs a safe environment where he can run, and eventually fly. Soon he will start to breathe fire. That could become destructive without the right surveillance. I have a fine garden in my own menagerie, and I know all about these little creatures. Would you sell him to me?"

Connie held up her hand.

"We would gladly give him to you, but is everybody else agreed that we give Morpeth to Iainus to save his future?"

"I'll miss him so much, but just want him to be happy" Ben said.

Despite a few heartstrings being tugged, the vote for Morpeth to be given to Iainus and his expert care was unanimous.

Ben put his hand out to Morpeth, who recognising someone he knew and liked, raised a lazy paw.

"See you, Morpeth, you little star."

"See you around kid" Cal said, trying to sound nonchalant. Then he bawled out his eyes for fifteen minutes.

Now you may well be thinking, if there were menageries that housed dragons, how is it that they became extinct? Alas, the Roman Empire after Caesar became too decadent, and the dragons didn't like it, and one by one they flew away and took off to unknown regions. The drunken Romans destroyed all record of their existence.

The travellers had already made up their minds to leave Rome, having seen too much cruelty despite the kindness of Caesar and Iainus.

Alas, that plan was thwarted by a cruel twist of fate.

As the travellers walked through the market, two drunks, Asbo and Raucus, pushed their way through the crowds, intent on petty theft. While the travellers were looking at some pottery, Asbo reached for the bag down Connie's cleavage, fumbled inside it and grabbed something.

Alas, it was the key to the machine. Everybody, including a couple of guards, gave chase, but Asbo was quicker. He ran across the bridge, and flung the key into the deep waters of the river Tiber, where it sank.

Rita began to cry. They were all stranded in Ancient Rome whether they liked it or not.

(


	17. Chapter 17

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Connie hugged Rita.

"At least we're safe from Hanssen here."

"But it's an evil place!"

"Hey, come on, Freeman, I'll look after you."

Rita's lower lip came out in a little pout of temper, but she sighed, and snuggled into Connie's naked body.

"THIS is the same in any century, darling."

Rita was sceptical.

"I'm not so sure. I bet they'll invent ways to make sex more exciting in the future."

"We'll ask Cal and Ethan tomorrow. If we can catch Ethan between meals."

In the morning, Ethan said helpfully:

"I'll have a go at picking that time machine lock later today if nobody minds."

The others wanted to tell Ethan not to be so naïve, but Dylan just said:

"Better to leave well alone, Ethan."

Later, Caesar approached them with news.

"I am needed abroad on foreign affairs but you may stay here in my absence. I hear you were robbed yesterday?"

"We were" Connie said.

Caesar clapped his hands and in came two bodyguards. The athletic younger man, Adrianus, and the older one, Grossus Maccus, bowed to the travellers.

"At your disposal for the rest of your stay."

Things looked a little better.

They took a walk by the Tiber next day and considered diving in to retrieve the ring, but the size of the river and the unhealthy state of it, told them it would be potential suicide. And none of them were as unhappy as that.

Suddenly the small boy ran up to them. The bodyguards were on alert, but:

"We know him. Hello, Lucius" said Connie.

Lucius was smiling and had two fat trout in his hand.

Ooooh, fresh _trout_ , thought Ethan.

"For you, my friends, for your kindness to me yesterday."

Ben peered a little closer. Was that a new bruise on the little boys' arm?

"Thank you Lucius, we shall enjoy those."

"Can we take them back and cook them now?" asked Ethan.

"You've had breakfast, greedy guts" Cal squashed him.

"Be here tomorrow; I might have something for you" Connie told Lucius, who bowed and ran off.

Ben was determined he would ask questions next time he saw the small boy.

Ethan had to wait till lunchtime to eat as the others wanted to walk round with the bodyguards and enjoy some of the statues and architecture in Rome.

Back at the villa, the cook, Janus, was preparing the fish when he suddenly abandoned the cooking and came running into the room where the travellers were relaxing.

"Noble friends, that boy tried to kill you all! You should demand that he and his entire family are slaughtered for this!"

The 'Saxons' were shocked, not only at the threat to a whole family but that Lucius had tried to kill them.

"Were the trout poisoned?"

"No… this device was in one of them!"

And Janus held up the time machine key.

Connie laughed and Janus wondered if the beautiful Saxon lady had lost her mind.

"The child did not try to harm us; he recovered a precious talisman we had lost! And no more talk of slaughtering families; I find it most distasteful. We are due to meet the boy tomorrow; he shall be richly rewarded. As for you…"

Connie took a huge diamond from her 'swag bag' and passed it to the cook.

"Oh madam! Madam, I'll work for you forever!" he grovelled.

They were all euphoric; thanks to little Lucius they could leave this place with its underlying horror.

Lucius was waiting by the bridge as he had promised the next day, but somebody was with him. A sturdy-looking, sullen man was with him, and suddenly gave Lucius a slap that sent him sprawling. Connie motioned for the bodyguards to hide.

"A large slap for such a small boy" she commented drily. Ben wanted to go for the man's throat but trusted Connie in this case.

"Bah" the man spat, "I should have done with him what I did to his sister; taken the wretch into the wilderness to die when he was born."

"They don't-!" gasped Rita.

"They do", Ben said miserably.

"You evil, hateful man!" Rita began.

"Keep your bitches in order or I'll slap them unconscious!" the man, Adamus Crassus, ordered the 'Saxon' men.

The bodyguards reappeared.

"Did you just threaten the Ladies Constantina, Jessica and Rita, favourites of the great Caesar?"

Crassus grovelled.

"No, no; fine ladies, sweet ladies."

"And what does his mother think of you slapping Lucius here?"

Crassus forced grief into his voice.

"Ah, his lovely mother is no longer on this earth. I do my best to discipline the brat, but…"

Ben put his hands on Lucius's shoulders.

"Lucius, if you could come with my friends and myself, would you do that?"

"I have some say in what becomes of the whelp!" bawled Crassus.

"Ah, then you won't want this."

Connie waved a diamond bracelet at Crassus. Because of the bodyguards, he dared not slap her, snatch it and run.

"Such a good boy; worth more than diamonds."

Connie wasn't one to give in to emotional blackmail but she saw the fear and despair in the small boy's eyes. She held out a pile of gold coins.

It reminded Ben of the scene with the Threnadiers, Valjean and Cosette in 'Les Miserables'. Except that this was reality and it was hurting him.

"Interested now?"

"It will break my heart to lose my little boy, but I will let you take him away to a better life."

Crassus pulled Lucius into a bear hug, knowing he was hurting the boy because of the bruises on his back.

"Go with the lovely people, Lucius."

Connie threw the money at Crassus's feet, knowing that he had to grovel to retrieve it.

"Come along, Lucius, you're ours now and we'll do our best to make you happy."

Dylan could see the hurting in Ben's eyes, and to make him laugh, whispered:

"Wait till we go somewhere with footballs. You'll not be able to wait to teach him!"

Connie and Rita took Lucius's hands, with Adrianus and Grossus Maccus walking at either side of them, just in case Lucius's father should try one mean trick. But Crassus had fled with his windfall.

"I'm strong. I'm only seven years old but I can work hard" Lucius told Connie.

"You won't be working for a long time" she told him, and Rita gave him a hug.

They thought it only fair to leave a farewell note for Caesar, and with their new-found authority were able to hire a scribe to etch a message on a stone tablet. They left some precious stones out of courtesy. The note thanked the Emperor for his hospitality and added for good measure:

"Please beware the Ides of March."

Hearts were in mouths as Connie put the device in the door, but to everybody's relief the door opened.

"Madam?" Lucius said nervously.

"What, darling?"

"You're not sorcerers, are you?"

"No, Lucius. Just people who can travel through time."

The answer seemed to satisfy the small boy.

"So, do you trust us?" Ben asked.

Lucius ran to him and buried his face in Ben's chest. Of all the group, he had taken most to Ben and Connie. Lucius began to sob, but they were happy tears of relief at getting away from his vicious father. Ben held him till the tears stopped.

Connie gave him a tissue from the store cupboard.

"Wipe your eyes and nose, then I have a treat for you."

She came back with a chocolate biscuit. Ethan made a valiant effort not to run to count how many were left.

"Now eat it slowly or you could be ill" Cal advised.

But Lucius, used to having to ration his food, already knew to make it last as long as possible.

Dylan walked over to the controls without being asked.

"I think we all need to leave here. Forward?" he suggested.

"Yes, bossy-arse" Rita replied. Dylan raised his eyebrows at her, and turned the controls.

Where now?

Back in Ancient Rome, a little later, Caesar read the note and smiled at the Saxons' generosity.

"But what nonsense about the Ides of March! Of course I'll be careful… nothing on earth could make me miss that Senate Meeting!"

(


	18. Chapter 18

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

(A/N: I think I should mention that this chapter really does stretch the bounds of fantasy. But if a time machine can be invented, why shouldn't the all the characters mentioned here have existed?

Dylan took a cautious look around. Shop fronts, good. People talking in reasonably modern English, check. Bonnets, shawls, top hats… fair enough.

He went back into the machine.

"I think we'll be quite safe here" he said.

Foolish naïve Dylan…

Lucius held on tightly to Ben and Dylan's hands. Dylan noticed that several of the people were giving them strange looks.

"Are you in some kind of theatrical show?" said one snooty woman.

"We are, Madam. Now could you tell us if there is a pawn shop or antique shop open?" Dylan replied, equally snootily.

"I have heard of actors who spend all their money in alehouses and then pawn their belongings the next day. And do you think this is a suitable lifestyle for a child his age?"

Ben was tempted to say "You don't know the half of it" but he contented himself by saying:

"The boy's uncle, the Vicar, has no objections to our lifestyle, Madam."

The woman pointed to a shop in disgust.

"You may pawn whatever you have in there" she said coldly and brushed past them, pulling her skirts out of the way as if Ben's presence would pollute her.

Rita bawled after her:

"Tell your husband to come round to see me if he fancies a quick one, sweetheart!"

The woman glared balefully at Rita, and Connie thumped Rita's arm.

"Watch it, she could have the police on us!"

As they walked to the pawn shop, Ben saw something else that made his eyes light up, which did little for controlling Dylan's pulse rate.

"Covent Garden" he said joyfully, adding:

"It's almost like home…"

"Do you want to look around for a bit?" asked Connie.

"I don't want to whine" said Ethan, doing just that, "But if we don't get something pawned soon it'll be too late for supper!"

"Stop that, asshole!" Cal told him.

"What's an asshole, please?" said Lucius politely.

"It's a swear word, Lucius. I shouldn't have said it in front of you and I apologise."

They suddenly came upon the front of a theatre, that was advertising a new drama, 'Velicia, Angel of the Regiment'. They stared in fascination at the sepia photographs of the production, including one scene where a golden-haired woman was lying across the knees of several soldiers, with an angelic expression on her face and a bloody stain over her heart.

"It's a comedy then" said Dylan drily.

"I could do that!" grinned Rita. She clutched at her heart and moaned:

"I'm just glad to die for my regiment!"

A woman with a familiar face walked by and slapped Rita's face hard. Then she went into the theatre.

"Rita, I think that was Velicia" said Connie, trying hard not to laugh too loudly.

"That lady was not as pretty as the Lady Rita" said Lucius.

"Lucius, could you just call me Rita here? We're not lords and ladies any more."

"You may beat me if I forget!" declared Lucius.

Connie said earnestly:

"Lucius, you won't be beaten any more. You need to remember that."

"NOW can we eat?" begged Ethan.

"I can go without food for days" said Lucius proudly, breaking Ben's heart again.

Connie's main concern was not food, but finding lodgings for the night. They went into the pawn shop, which fascinated Lucius, and came out with a sizeable sum of money.

They found lodgings, but only when they'd walked over to the East End area, then Connie insisted that they bought themselves clothes that looked more Victorian.

"Oh great" wailed Mr Ever-Hungry, "There'll just about be enough money left for half a pie between us."

However, Ethan was soon strutting about preening in the mirror once he tried on his new suit and cravat. He was stunned at how lovely Jess looked as a Victorian lady and Connie and Rita couldn't stop admiring each other.

"You scrub up quite well, Chiltern" was the only compliment Dylan gave Ben, but Ben understood.

"I think Lucius looks best of us all" he smiled.

The little boy grinned round everybody and as they left the shop, he ran out in joy, colliding with an elderly man as he did so.

"Oh Sir, I'm terribly sorry!" he gasped.

"What a fine, polite boy! Here, have a penny."

"Oh, thank you Sir!"

The man smiled.

"Such politeness deserves an extra reward, take this, my boy."

Another penny. Lucius was scared to say thank you again in case he looked greedy, so he just smiled shyly.

The man raised his hat and walked away. Dylan asked a couple of people if they knew who the man was.

"Bless you, that's Mr Scrooge! Used to be such a mean man but then he just changed overnight!"

"Must have been the spirits" Cal smiled.

"Oh bless you, no, Sir, Mr Scrooge is teetotal!"

They searched for somewhere to eat, and Ethan's grizzling became louder

Mindful of the fog that was descending, Connie suggested they could always find a shop that sold pies and eat them on the way back to the lodgings.

Fortunately they soon found an inn where the innkeeper was more than happy for Lucius to sit and have a meal with the adults, and for the next hour, Ethan was in heaven.

As they were about to leave, somebody behind them said:

"It's a bad night for fog; the kind of night when Jack's likely to go prowling."

Ben's arms went round Lucius, and Ethan hugged Jess. Connie and Rita clung together.

They had a good idea of who Jack was and it wasn't Jack Sparrow.

"We'd better get a couple of hansom cabs back, and if we are split up everybody needs to remember we're staying at Miss Seabrook's establishment in Albert Square."

Connie handed out coins to everybody but Lucius.

They were grateful for the bright streetlamps but as they turned a corner they were in pitch darkness. To make things worse, a gang of drunken apprentices came round the corner, knocking Ben sprawling, and to her horror, Rita's hand was wrenched from Connie's grasp.

"Rita!" screamed Connie.

"I'm here" came a faint voice, then an angry man's saying "Look Miss, you need to get off the road. You could be run down by a Hansom Cab!"

The young man deposited Rita safely on the pavement – on the opposite side of the road.

She couldn't see a thing in front of her.

Lucius snuggled into Ben's side, crying a little. His new friends were upset and he was afraid of this fog.

"Connie?"

"Rita?"

"Anybody?" snapped Ethan, managing to spot Ben, Lucius, Cal and Dylan just ahead of him. Taking Jess's hand firmly, he led her over to stand with them.

Rita took what she thought was the safest action:

"Guys I'm getting a cab; I'll see you back at Miss Seabrook's."

Just then a second group of apprentices came by, jostling and pushing.

"Be careful, we've got a small boy with us." Dylan was caustic.

"You want to get him home to bed, mate."

Dylan bit back a reply and concentrated on steering his group towards the bright lights again. Fortunagtely as they came round the corner, they came upon a stall where a man was doing a roaring trade selling lanterns.

"Soon have you safe and warm, Lucius" Ben reassured the boy.

The cab rattled round the corner into the darkness.

"Are we going the right way?" Rita asked uneasily, "It seemed a much shorter walk this afternoon."

"Oh yes, Miss."

He drove the cab through a tangle of alleyways and finally pulled up.

"Is this Albert Square?" asked Rita dubiously.

"No Miss, it's not" said Netley, the driver, and then said softly:

"Jack? I've brought you another one."

(


	19. Chapter 19

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER NINETEEN

Meanwhile, Connie, who had taken her own advice and taken a hansom cab, sat at the lodging house becoming more uneasy, despite kindly Miss Seabrook's bringing her a hot toddy and stoking up the fire for her to sit by.

Things looked much better now they had lanterns.

"We needn't rush so much now, we know Connie and Rita are safely home."

"But Dylan, Jess here's really tired, I want to get her home as soon as I can."

Ethan proved that food wasn't always his main priority.

Jess did look exhausted.

"Okay, that makes sense, and Lucius should be in bed by now", Ben agreed.

They saw Jess, Ethan, Cal and Lucius into a Hansom Cab.

"Soon be home now, mate" Ben said kindly.

"Don't you two hang around too long" Cal warned them.

"I think we can walk back now" Dylan told them.

He turned a corner and was promptly accosted by a young man.

"Ivan! You were wonderful in the ballet tonight!" cried the stranger, and, to Dylan's horror, hugged him.

"I don't dance and I'm not Ivan" protested Dylan.

The young man looked again.

"No you're not… I cannot apologise enough, Sir."

"No apology needed. I – er – bat for the other side myself, but I'm romantically involved at the moment."

Dylan couldn't believe he'd just admitted he was romantically involved with Ben. But what else was it?

"Pity… well, look, here's my card. If you ever need my help, see me at this address."

Dylan bowed and took the card, intending to throw it away later. He'd memorised the name on it, however:

'Evelyn, Duke of Barnet'.

He raced back to where…

Ben was looking uneasy in another dark alley.

And then it happened. A man who walked like an ape, head down, arms swinging, cornered Ben.

"Filthy pervert! Roaming the streets for pleasure, were you? Well it's my job to rid the streets of scum like you!"

He knocked Ben unconscious with his cane.

"And now I'm going to smash your handsome face to a pulp so nobody will want you again."

The man poised the cane, and then dropped it, yelping.

Dylan was on him, kicking, biting, punching.

The two men fought until Dylan was overpowered. The man raised the cane once more…

… And his face changed. He stopped drooling, he stood upright, raised his hat and said in cultured tones:

"Oh my goodness, whatever was I thinking? I do apologise. Goodnight, Sir… here's money if your friend needs a doctor…"

He dropped several coins at Dylan's feet and walked off.

Dylan decided it would hardly be wrong to pocket the coins under the circumstances.

Then he knelt by Ben, who was slowly coming round. He examined him quickly; nothing too bad.

"Dylan… he hit me… should we go to the police? We don't have any name to give them though."

"Oh we do. I reckon if we gave the name Henry Jekyll or Edward Hyde to them we'd be pretty accurate."

"Was that really…?"

Dylan nodded.

"Best leave well alone. What a bloody night" Ben sighed.

"We're nearly home now and Lucius is safe."

"Thank goodness for that."

Just then they heard a blood-curdling shout:

"Murder! Jack's done another one!"

"This one isn't on my list" the man said to Netley, adding:

"In fact, you're not a whore at all, are you, my dear?"

"Of course I'm not a whore, I'm a nurse!" Rita yelled in his face.

Then she jabbed him hard in the face with her hatpin, leaped from the cab and ran off.

"You little bitch, you'll die like the others when I catch you!"

"What's the name of the girl who died?" Ben asked the woman.

"Mary Kelly. Awful, it was. Poor inspector Abberline was nearly sick when he went into that room, they say."

"Thank you" Ben said, pale-faced, sickened by the woman's love for gory detail.

Then he looked into the distance and gasped in shock.

Rita, bonnet askew, chest heaving in a way that Connie would have adored, was running towards Ben and Dylan.

"Rita! What the heck?"

Rita ran over and sobbed on the embarrassed Dylan's chest.

The next day kindly Miss Seabrook insisted that Jess and Rita stayed in bed a little longer.

"I'll look after Miss Freeman" Connie smiled.

Ethan didn't mention he would look after Miss Harrison – his mouth was full of breakfast anyway – but later on, he crept into her room. She looked ill.

"I keep being sick" she said dully.

"Try and eat a bit of toast and drink some tea."

Jess didn't feel like it, but tried it. Surprisingly she felt better.

She told Connie about it later, and Connie said quietly:

"Jess… I think you could be pregnant."

Connie wasn't well herself. She was sick with remorse. I left her to Jack the Ripper, she kept thinking all day. I thought she was safely in a cab and all the time….

"What are you snivelling for, Beauchamp?"

"I – I abandoned you and got a hansom cab and you could have been killed."

"It was the plan for everybody to get a cab, Connie. I still love you, you bossy fool."

It was time for more shopping. The group wanted to buy a treat for Rita, after her horrible experience and Ben wanted to buy Lucius his first toy.

They bought a pretty shawl for Rita, and then Ben saw a toy shop and beamed.

"Come in here, Lucius."

The little boy's eyes were wide.

"May I play in here?"

"You can't do that, but you can pick out a nice toy to take back to Mrs Seabrook's."

Lucius, whose leisure time had not been great, felt as if one of the Gods had come down from Olympus to reward hin.

Overfaced, and not wanting to be greedy, Lucius picked up a small toy horse.

"Please may I have this statue?"

"Statue! Ah, what a fine imagination your little boy has."

It was a chubby man with spectacles who had made the remark. He continued:

"Statue! Such a clever little boy! Isn't he, Sam?"

The younger man nodded.

"He certainly is, Mr Pickwick!"

Ben and Dylan got a few more simple toys for Lucius, and a couple of simple reading manuals so the little boy could learn to read.

"Is it lunch yet?" asked Ethan, to stop himself snivelling at Lucius's gratitude for the gifts.

For once, his wishes were fulfilled, as Ben and Dylan wanted to show Lucius the Thames.

"Pie shop!" yelled Ethan in triumph, as they walked, "Guys, we just have to go in there."

Cal looked and his complexion paled.

"We absolutely do not want to go in there."

"Why not?"

"Look up", Cal replied.

Ethan looked up and read:

"Mrs Lovett's Fine Pies."

Higher still:

"Sweeney Todd, Barber. The closest shave in Fleet Street."

"I'm not hungry any more" whimpered Ethan.

Cal fell on his knees.

"Hallelujah, it's a miracle!"

As Lucius was playing with his toys, he heard Jessica and Ethan coming down the stairs.

"I can't believe you're pregnant! Oh Jess, let's have a Victorian wedding with all the trimmings!"

"I thought you might not be pleased."

"Jess, I love you. I'm thrilled. A baby!"

Lucius made a show of playing, but his mind was on the new baby. A lot of money had been spent on him, Lucius, lately and supposing the money ran out and the poor baby had to be taken into the mountains to die?

He knew what he had to do.

That night as all the adults slept soundly, a small, sad boy crept out of Mrs Seabrook's. Lucius had this things together in a tiny bundle. He didn't think Ben would mind him keeping the horse. He wanted to go back and beg for a hug, but he knew he'd have to be strong.

The small boy vanished into the fog of London.

(


	20. Chapter 20

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY

Ben awoke next morning, hugged Dylan close, then called softly into the next room:

"Lucius?"

No reply.

"He'll be worn out" Dylan said easily.

"I'll get him up, I thought he might like a walk in Regent's Park, there might be a band playing."

Dylan pulled a face; he hated Victorian music especially the 'jolly' bits.

Ben was gone a few moments then came rushing back, his face panic-stricken.

"He's gone, Dylan, I've looked in every room."

"Hey, calm down, crazy man, he'll be in the garden playing with that kitten he's taken a shine to. Little tabby b*st*rd that it is" Dylan added hastily in case Ben thought he'd gone soft.

But when they reached the garden, the kitten was playing alone.

They held a conference in Miss Seabrook's parlour.

"Did you say anything to upset the little lad? Kiddies are so predictable", Miss Seabrook suggested.

"No, we were all in a good mood, especially me and Jess because of our news" Ethan refuted that idea.

Ben suddenly went white and said:

"Oh God…"

Miss Seabrook was too concerned about Lucius to reprimand Ben for blaspheming.

"You might have noticed, Miss Seabrook, that Lucius has a fondness for Ancient Roman history. He… he mentioned once that unwanted babies were taken into the mountains to die, and he must have thought… he'll have run away to save your baby, Jess."

There was no hatred in Ben's voice, he was just wearily stating a fact.

Dylan put his head in his hands, and then his hands in his pockets. He felt the card from yesterday.

"Miss Seabrook, could I possibly use your telephone?"

"Ben. Don't go mad… yesterday I was approached by a man when we were all split up for a while. He… er…liked me and gave me his card."

Ben wondered if Dylan was confessing to an affair, but he couldn't care less right now.

"I just called him; he's putting a posse of friends together to help search for Lucius."

Ben looked at him sadly.

"Whatever it takes."

Evelyn turned up in a short while with his friend the earl of Crabtree.

"We should split up for a better search; Ben, you and Dylan should come with us. Caleb, Ethan, Jessica, do the West End area, we'll do the East End. Constance and Rita, would you mind staying here so that there's somebody to greet Lucius if he's found?"

Nobody had ever told Connie to stay home before, but this was an emergency. She did, however, suggest:

"With Jess's condition, maybe she should stay here with Rita?"

"Okay." It was no time to be quibbling.

Lucius hoped he could find somewhere to sleep before nightfall. He was scared.

He saw a boy wandering along eating an apple.

"Hey, kid? You hungry?"

"I'm fine now thank you, but do you know where I could get a job? I need to earn my living."

"It just so happens I do" the sly-looking boy said, "Follow me. And don't let Mr Self or Lenny know you're scared of them."

Lucius trotted innocently after the boy.

Lucius climbed down the steps that led to the cellar. At the bottom of the stairs were a group of boys who stared rudely at him, and sitting in the corner, a rough-looking man and an older one.

"You're a small boy. Are you used to hard work?"

"Oh yes Sir!"

"I'm looking for a clever boy. What's your name?"

"Lucius."

The other boys began to jeer and catcall.

"Hoo! LOO-shus!"

"Shut up before I take my strap to all of you. You're a little runt, aren't you, kid?"

"I can work, I tell you!" Lucius burst out, annoyed that Self was staring at him.

A blow sent him sprawling.

"Lenny" a girl's voice cut in, "He's new. He's scared."

Kind brown eyes looked into his.

"I'm Sam – Samantha, that is. Do you like sausage?"

Lucius did.

"How about a sausage and some nice bread and butter, and a mug of tea?"

"Yes please."

Up to now the West End posse hadn't had much luck. Then Cal remembered the theatre and the melodrama.

"Wait for me, I want to talk to the leading lady."

"You're always accusing me of thinking about my gut, but now you're thinking about your…" Ethan was outraged.

But there was method in Cal's madness.

Five minutes later he came running out with the lady who played Velicia.

She stood outside the theatre and declaimed:

"Ladies and gentlemen, a small boy is lost. He's seven years old and his name is Lucius. Seven years old and lost in London! He's small, has dark hair and blue eyes. His guardians are grieving for him! Mothers – fathers – I appeal to you. Please help these good people find their sweet little boy!"

By the time she'd finished talking, at least two more hansom cabs had joined in the search.

"Now, let's show Lucius how we play our little game."

Guy Self's voice was oily.

The boys re-enacted a scene where an innocent passer- by is waylaid and robbed.

Lucius could stand no more.

"You're thieves! You train boys to steal, don't you?"

He'd seen enough of that in ancient Rome. And how the boys who were caught had been strung up without a trial.

Guy Self's fist came towards his face. Samantha stood between them and was knocked unconscious. Slowly, Guy saw sense.

"You're not cut out for this, are you, lad? Never mind. Lenny will take you back to the river so you can find somebody else to work for."

Much later, Lenny guided Lucius through the streets. The brick in his bag would make sure the small boy didn't blab about the gang.

Meanwhile, the East End posse had a stroke of luck in their search. A sad-faced but attractive man was walking aimlessly through the streets. Since he'd lost Mary Kelly, Frederick Abberline had little to live for.

He wandered into the road without thinking, and heard somebody shout:

"Oh Sir, look out!"

"Sorry, Sir, my fault entirely. I should know better as a policeman" he explained to Ben.

"A policeman? Oh Sir, please can you help us; our ward has run away and we need to get him back…"

Ben explained the situation, omitting the part about the time travel and he and Dylan being gay. Not that Abberline would have judged them.

"If you have room for one more in the cab, Sirs, I'll gladly help your search. Oh, not to frighten you, but I usually travel with this."

He showed a small pistol. Far from being frightened, the other occupants in the cab were vastly relieved.

Abberline's gently probing questions soon uncovered a strong lead. On being asked where Lucius liked to go most in London, the Thames was mentioned. Cal and Ethan's posse had the same idea and headed in that direction.

Lenny kept cracking jokes as he walked, to ease Lucius's mind. Not that Lenny cared too much about the state of the kid's mind, to him kids were either good gang members or a waste of space.

"We'll have a little walk by the river."

"Oh I love the Thames" Lucius enthused.

Good, you'll soon be in it with your skull smashed, thought Lenny.

(


	21. Chapter 21

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

The search parties from the East End and West End finally came together at Waterloo Bridge. Ben's heart was breaking. The thought of Lucius shivering in some alley all night tore at him. He looked out at the bridge, hoping against hope that he could see the small boy. As the line of cabs moved over the bridge, Ben prayed as he had never prayed before.

Lenny felt sadistic and wanted to lull the little boy into feeling safe before he brained him.

"Hey, do you like pies?" he asked.

Lucius answered more out of politeness than hunger:

"Yes please, a pie would be nice."

As Lenny turned the corner he was dumbfounded to see a row of Hansom cabs where the bridge was normally deserted.

"Lucius! Down here!" Ben yelled joyfully, suddenly spotting him.

Lucius forgot his plan to manage on his own, and yelled back:

"Ben, this kind man's brought me here."

Then Abberline got out of the cab, and Lenny knew the game was up. He was wanted for other crimes and he was going to hang. Lenny decided he'd take the kid with him.

He lifted Lucius on to the rail of the bridge, dangled him over and let him go, just as Abberline fired, hitting Lenny square between the eyes. Lenny reeled and fell into the river.

Ben was moaning with grief.

Then like a miracle, he heard somebody- Cal? Ethan? Ben wasn't sure, shout:

"He's safe! He's fallen into a boat!"

Lucius looked at the man who owned the boat, wondering if this meant another beating, but the man was saying to him:

"You must have nine lives, lad."

"I split one of your sacks."

"Don't fret, boy. Let's get you to shore."

"I don't think you need my help any more, Sir. Case closed."

Frederick Abberline tipped his hat, and walked away into the night.

"Ben, I'm so sorry I ran away!"

"We'll talk about that when we get back", Ben said, hugging him close.

"I split this gentleman's sack" Lucius said sadly.

The man with the boat was already walking off briskly. Dylan ran after him.

"Your boat stopped our ward from drowning. You must take payment for that damaged sack."

"I was just happy to be there at the right time, Sir."

Dylan became Dylan-like:

"Now look! You've lost a sack of flour; that means your trade could suffer. Now you take this and don't argue, because we're all tired here."

"Well, thank you, friend."

As they made their way to the cabs again, Ethan said hopefully:

"I don't suppose we could get pies on the way?"

Lucius suddenly felt as if he could eat a pie.

"We'll buy pies to take back; I want to get away from here as soon as possible." Dylan took over.

"A pie for each of us, plus one each for Rita and Jess, and then five for Ethan" teased Connie, who never thought she'd be able to joke again.

"Anybody would think I was greedy" huffed Ethan.

As Ben carried Lucius up the steps of Miss Seabrook's, he said:

"Tomorrow night we'll take you to see 'Pirates of Penzance' at the theatre, Lucius. It'll be a treat for you."

"Not for me it won't" growled Dylan.

"Would you let me provide your party with transport to the theatre and back tomorrow night?" asked Evelyn.

Ben wanted to say they could manage, but just wanted to make sure Lucius was safe before they all left Victorian London for good.

"That would be kind" he replied.

Evelyn put his hand on Ben's arm.

"Benjamin, I think you should know that I approached your friend Dylan yesterday. It was a clumsy attempt to find out if he – felt the same as I did. He was quite adamant that he only wanted to be with you. Nothing happened."

"I know that" Ben said, managing to see the humour in life again, "He only met you for a few moments in the London fog. Even somebody with Dylan's energy couldn't have been unfaithful to me in that time!"

Just then a spiteful voice from over the road cut in:

"Well! Caused a right hue and cry, he has, and he's going to be taken to the theatre tomorrow night for it! I'd have smacked his bottom so hard-"

Miss Seabrook almost ran down the steps and yelled:

"That little boy's a good, kind, decent little boy and you don't know what he's been through tonight! So I'll thank you to keep your mouth shut, Miss Ai…eeeeee…fe O'Reilly!"

Aioife stormed back to her own lodging house.

The next day Dylan and Ben had a serious talk with Lucius.

"Are you going to beat me for running away?" asked the small boy.

"No, Lucius, because you're our boy now and we love you. But there's something you need to know. We're not in Rome now and babies aren't ever sent away to die. Jess is happy because she's going to have that baby, but it doesn't ever mean there isn't room for you. Or money for all of us. Promise you'll never run off again?"

"But you paid my father for me and I've done no work at all."

"Lucius, we paid your father because it was the only way he'd let you go. But we want to bring you up as our son."

"Can two gentlemen do that?"

"They can where we come from. While we're here we'll just call ourselves your guardians."

"Come on now – Son, stop crying" Dylan said, meaning to be kind.

He was unprepared for Lucius burying his head in him and crying out all his misery.

Just then a vistor was admitted – Miss O'Reilly.

"Sir, I have come to apologise for my behaviour last night. I have learned the truth today and am ashamed of myself."

"That's quite all right, Miss O' Reilly, we'll say no more about it."

She passed over a little parcel.

"A bag of sugar mice for the little boy, if he's allowed confectionery?"

"In moderation, and thank you, Miss O'Reilly."

Dylan bent and kissed the lady's hand, and she all but bounced back to her own lodging-house.

"Oi, you!" Ben's voice was sharp but he was smiling. He could never have imagined Dr Keogh kissing a lady's hand back in the ED.

"Pirates of Penzance" thrilled Lucius. He'd been told that it was rude to talk while the actors were talking or singing, but that they would love it if he clapped hard at the end of each act. Lucius fell in love with the show, the silly policemen, the swashbuckling pirates who were kind despite their threats, and the beautiful lady playing Mabel.

And even though the production was slow torture for Dylan, he never let Lucius know it.

It was wonderful to have the private coach at their disposal, no worries about fog or villains this time, just a leisurely ride back to Miss Seabrook's.

The next day, Evelyn shook hands with Ben and Dylan, and told them to look after each other. Maybe one of them should have heeded that warning.

Then it was decision time. Lucius was given the choice.

"Forwards or backwards, Lucius?"

"Um… sideways?" Lucius suggested.

Connie stroked his hair, and moved the controls just a little forward, then sideways.

The machine moved.

"Good choice, Lucius" Ben applauded.

"Thanks… Dad." Lucius tried out the word and liked it.

Ben's heart was full. So full that he ignored the fact that Ethan was helping himself to Lucius's sugar mice.

(


	22. Chapter 22

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

A/N: Zidler's first name in the film of Moulin Rouge was Harold, but Wikipedia has it as Charles, so Charles it is. Apparently the performers were paid in diamonds.

"You're not to explore, Jess, you're to stay in here till we come for you" Ethan ordered.

"Hey, Male Chauvinist Pig!" teased Rita.

"I don't mind" Jess replied. She liked Ethan's bossy but protective manner.

"Would you like me or Connie to stay with you, Jess?"

"Maybe we should leave Lucius with you" Dylan wondered.

"No, please!" Lucius protested.

"Am I such a dragon, darling?" Jess asked the little boy.

"No, you're lovely, but… if anything bad happens I want to be near my two Dads."

"Okay then, but don't let go of our hands, will you?" Dylan, who had grown to love the small boy almost as much as his partner did, was firm on this one.

They listened for words: "They speak French here", checked the state of the streets: "At least Victorian" and listened for signs of battle or conflict. All serene.

Then a languid remark:

"Ah, Henri, I shall not go back to work this evening. I shall risk dismissal, and tonight I shall go and drink Absinthe at the Moulin Rouge!"

A news stand. Connie looked at the front of a paper.

"December 10th, 1906."

Bingo. They knew just where they were. But would a lodging house in Paris accept Victorian coins or jewellery as payment?

After a tiring but successful walk round, they went back to fetch Jess.

They had found lodgings, they had cash to hand, their clothes were respectable, and – to Ethan's delight – there was a market that sold fresh food.

The state of the lodgings and the attitude of their new landlady were a disappointment to say the least. Madame Duffine was not a friendly person, nor was she generous.

"If you are late getting back to my establishment you are to be quiet. Excessive noise will result in you losing your lodgings without a refund. You will pay a month in advance. If you are more than five minutes late for breakfast you will not be fed."

Ethan resolved to be at least ten minutes early.

She had also refused to let Lucius sleep in the same room as Dylan and Ben, whose relationship she did not yet know about, and would not have allowed them in her establishment at all had she known they were gay.

"He is old enough to sleep on his own. He is not a baby. He can have the small room next to yours."

The "small room" was little more than a box room with a chest of drawers.

"What if he has a nightmare?" Ben asked.

"He is not a baby" the harpy repeated.

"Welcome to Bohemian life" whispered Cal.

The final blow was when they reached the market to find it shut for the evening. Ethan, who had been looking forward to baguettes and cheese, wept in rage.

"We've got biscuits and a tea and coffee maker in the time machine" Cal reassured him.

"How long will they last?" growled Ethan.

"About fifteen minutes with you" Jess said drily. It was very unusual for gentle little Jess to be waspish and everybody laughed, even Ethan.

They resolved to try to earn more money, so they could find a more benign and less avaricious landlady. It was Dylan who had the idea of Ben singing for their supper.

Charles Zidler, owner of the Moulin Rouge, smiled sadly at Ben.

"You have the voice of an angel, mon cher, but at the Moulin Rouge customers want a little more than a sweet voice. Now if you were to dress as a woman, maybe-"

"That's a point. If it makes money for us, I'll do it. I hate the thought of that hag picking on Lucius."

Dylan looked uneasy at the idea. He adored Ben but didn't see why he had to be the one to change how he was. Then Connie smiled slowly.

"Surely drag artistes are ten a penny?"

"Ah, but not with his voice, Mademoiselle."

"But what do you think of a woman who dresses as a man?"

Zidler looked at Connie's well-proportioned figure. A slim waist, generous breasts… hmmm.

"And you can sing?"

"I can carry a tune well" Connie said, ignoring the fact that this might sound conceited, "I could sing songs with a double-entendre; it would sound even more spicy coming from a woman."

"Can either of you two ladies dance?" Zidler asked kindly, looking hopefully at Rita.

"I can as it happens, if you have a pole I could move around."

"A POLE?"

"It's a new craze where we come from. A metal pole in the middle of the floor, the dancer holds on to it and dances round it."

"Bon. And how are you for heights?"

Rita tried to look calm.

"I can manage."

"I am visualising a small swing being let down from the ceiling. You would sit upon it and then Mam'selle Constance would sing to you. You are reluctant to descend. Her voice coaxes you down, and then you dance with your pole. Mam'selle Constance will keep singing and will flirt in song. Do you have a song that would work?"

"Yes" said Connie slowly, "I believe I do. But I have to be honest. I'd rather starve than have Rita fall to her death."

"You think I would let one of my Moulin Rouge girls fall and be hurt? There will be a very discreet safety net."

That night, Lucius had a bad dream; Lenny was pushing him into the river again and this time there was no boat to save him. He woke up trembling. Knowing he mustn't awaken the mean, angry old lady who owned the house, he muffled his sobs into the pillow, wishing it could have been Ben or Dylan he sobbed against. He hoped Connie and Rita could help them all.

The Moulin Rouge was crowded. There had been rumours of an exciting new act. The women looked forward to seeing the glamorous costumes, the men couldn't wait to see the new dancer's legs. And how exciting that pole looked!

In the cheapest seats, the others sat hoping Connie and Rita would be given the job. Ben had coaxed the truth out of Lucius as to why there were such dark rings under his eyes, and both he and Dylan preferred to take the little boy out with them than have him sitting in the cold lodging-house. Ethan felt the same about Jess.

Zidler came through the curtains:

"My friends, ladies, gentlemen… a new act. I present to you: Constantin and La Scintillante!"

Connie strode on in her man's suit and high heels, making it obvious from the start that this was a woman pretending to be a man. The men were already on the verge of salivating, the women interested in a detached way. She tipped her hat, winked saucily at a woman in the audience, then looked up to where Rita, in a sparkling costume, sat pretending to weep on the little swing.

Praying they'd both get away with it, Connie began to sing:

"Cheeky Rita, tell me what's wrong; I have never seen such sorrow

In your eyes. We'll go on the town tomorrow!"

She strutted and swaggered across the stage, coaxing. Soon the audience had picked up the melody and were singing the last lines with her:

"Smile once more, as you did before, sing a new song, Cheeky Rita!"

Slowly, gradually, Rita descended from the swing, and grabbed the pole, smiling. Connie leant against the stage, watching her as she danced.

Then, to her horror, she realised that the men were throwing things at them. No. All this for nothing…

She heard Rita's excited squeak. What the men were throwing were diamonds. A necklace here, a bracelet there. A ladies' watch. They were making sure they hit the stage and not the two performers. Rita scooped them up enthusiastically.

The whole audience was on its feet, cheering.

(


	23. Chapter 23

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

A/N Disclaimer: The background history of the characters in this story is not necessarily the same as the ones used by the Casualty scriptwriters. I do not own Casualty.

The next day Madame Duffine accosted them at breakfast. She was brandishing a newspaper nearly in their faces.

"So! We have a woman who pretends to be a man, and a vulgar dancer who pretends to be a lady so she and her friends can get rooms in my establishment. And here-" she pointed to Ethan, who was eating his breakfast without a care in the world – "we have a man who thinks he is an elephant!"

She whipped the dish of croissants out of Ethan's reach. He gave a little gibber of rage.

"You filthy Bohemians are out by midday, compris? And do not dare to ask for a refund."

Lucius, lack of sleep and misery about his nightmare getting the better of him, shouted:

"You're a horrible, mean lady!"

Nobody was prepared for what happened next. Madame Duffine slapped Lucius hard across the face. Ben was across the room in a couple of paces.

"I have never struck a woman yet, Madame. But if you do not apologise to our ward this minute I shall make an exception for you."

She looked at Ben's pale face and set lips and realised he meant it. She said coldly:

"I am sorry I hit you, child."

"Speak to him at his own level, or are your knees too creaky?" Ben persisted.

Looking viciously at Ben, she knelt to the little boy.

"I am sorry I hit you."

Ben nodded tersely. Dylan was upset by how horny the incident had made him feel.

"We are leaving, Madam Duffine. You are a mean, spiteful woman and we can now afford a decent lodging. We will all be gone by midday."

Cal was a little worried, knowing Ethan could sometimes go to his second childhood when he had been upset or challenged. This time, however, his eyes were sparkling.

"We're leaving? Whooo-eeeeeeee!"

He charged upstairs. A few minutes later the bedsprings in his room twanged dangerously.

"Ethan" , Cal told him, "Seriously? Bouncing on the bed?"

"It seems to me I'm going to have two babies to take care of" sighed Jess.

They packed their few belongings and marched past Madame Duffine.

Everyone else walked past her without a word, even Ben.

Nobody expected Dylan to have anything to say but he made an elaborate bow and said:

"Adieu, Madame Hatchet-face."

The new lodgings couldn't have been more of a contrast. The charming Marie-Claire Bellecoeur, their new landlady, welcomed them smilingly.

"Ah, the delightful Cheeky Rita from last night! How my son has sung your praises today, the naughty boy!"

"Please could our ward sleep in the same room as ourselves? He has nightmares" Ben explained.

"Ah, poor little thing! What is your name?"

"Lucius, Madame."

"Lucius, I have a fine old tomcat who loves to be stroked and petted. Will you play with him while you are staying here?"

"I'd love to. Thank you!"

Lucius became calmer, being allowed to share a room with Ben and Dylan – they were never sure if Marie-Claire knew their actual relationship but were heartened by the fact that she trusted them completely with the small boy.

Constantin and La Scintillante became a huge success, this being helped by Zidler's imaginative ideas:

"Now in this song, you, Constance, are the proud Army Officer, and you, Rita, are his far from unwilling prisoner…. Constantin, in this rather sad scene, you are the poet who dreams of a beautiful muse, and then Rita will appear like a vision but sadly she will always vanish with the dawn, leaving the poet alone and sad."

He introduced arias from Offenbach operettas that were not too difficult to sing, and there were a couple of crafty thefts from Gilbert and Sullivan, which made Dylan wince as he sat in the audience. Ben had managed to get himself a job at a nightclub around the corner where male singers were needed, and he was vastly relieved to find he didn't need to dress in drag, just in a clean suit. However not all audiences were kind.

Dylan went to fetch Ben after his performance one night and found him crumpled in the alley behind the nightclub, the pouring rain helping to wash the blood from a vicious cut on his lip and to soothe his swollen eye.

"At least I kept all my teeth" he joked grimly. Dylan, however, was sickened.

"And he did this to you just because he suspected you were gay?"

Ben nodded grimly.

"The sh*t. Come on, sweetheart, let's get you back and patch you up."

"Supposing Madame Bellecoeur suspects the worst?"

"Ah, she's sound. Come on, now, you're soaked."

Madame Bellecoeur had only sympathy for Ben and rage for his attacker.

"Ah, I have no time for prejudices! Now, my friend, you are to have this glass of brandy to settle your nerves… M'sieur Dylan had better have one as well… and then you shall sleep. I advise that you do not go back to that job. Those ladies are earning enough to pay for everybody's lodgings."

"I just want to pay my way" Ben replied sadly.

"Ah, I have it! You shall help me! I have jobs in my garden that you can do, and for this I shall take a discount from the price of your lodgings. But no work tomorrow, you must rest those ribs."

"RIBS?" yelled Dylan, instantly apologising.

"Alas, M'sieur, your friend has bad bruising."

"Show me!" Dylan commanded.

Ben showed him in the bedroom. Ugly bruises, turning a colourful mix of blue and purple, ran along his ribs.

"Hell! Isn't there one place on this earth, at one time, where we can all live in peace?"

"I don't think there is, Dylan. People being what they are... " Ben changed the subject.

"I still have a dream of getting back home."

"To 2014?"

Ben nodded.

"But we'll be blown apart by Hanssen's thugs if we go back. And we can't just programme the machine like that."

"I know" Ben said gently, "But I have this dream of seeing my parents again."

"I dream of going back and getting a dog. I want a dog, Ben."

"I'd love that!"

"In the meantime, we just go on. Trying to find that one place where people care."

It sounded like a good plan. The next day when they discussed it at breakfast, Cal , Ethan and Jess were happy to keep searching. What they weren't prepared for was the fact that Connie and Rita had fallen in love with Paris and the Moulin Rouge.

(


	24. Chapter 24

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

A/N Disclaimer: The background history of the characters in this story is not necessarily the same as the ones used by the Casualty scriptwriters. I do not own Casualty.

"Thanks for understanding" Connie told the others, trying hard not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"We really do" Cal said earnestly, "This is a fine place to be right now and you two love each other."

Ethan put in tactlessly "And by the time things turn bad" – he was thinking of the Second World War and the invasion of Paris – "you'll be too old to care. And you're not quite in the centre, here in Montmartre, anyway."

Rita thumped him but it was a gentle punch.

There was a reason for Ethan's flippancy. Jess had been asked whether she would rather go on with the others or to stay safely in 1906.

"Wherever Ethan chooses" she'd replied simply. Ethan had been moved by this and was trying hard not to let it make him weepy now.

"I hope a miracle happens for you and you get to your parents safe and sound" Connie told Ben. She added:

"You know Ben, when you first joined the ED, I wasn't sure about you. Some days I could see you getting yourself fired within the year. But I tell you what. If we had that time over again, and you came looking for a job, I would hire you on the spot."

Ben's response was to pull her into one of his generous bear hugs.

"See, it's different for us" Rita didn't think she needed to explain but wanted to, "Connie lost her parents quite young; I had a horrible childhood with my stepmum finally succeeding in poisoning my dad's mind against me."

"We get that. Now, for myself, my mum's long gone and I'd spit in my dad's eye if I saw him again." Dylan was his usual dry self. Ben squeezed his arm.

"Stop fawning over me, Chiltern, I'm fine."

There was just time for Cal and Lucius to have their say.

"Connie, Rita, I've loved travelling with you two ladies. At one time I hoped to cop off with one of you" Cal said frankly, "But then I saw how things were so I resigned myself to a broken heart".

His exaggerated sigh and the way he clutched his heart reassured Connie that he was joking. But Cal sometimes joked to stop himself becoming emotional. You could never tell with the Cals of this world.

"And what about you, Lucius?"

"It's nice here. That new lady's ever so kind and I love her big cat. But I want my Dads… can I call you my Dads when nobody bad's listening?"

Ben hugged him.

"We'll look after you, don't ever worry about that. And there'll be more animals for you to love while we're travelling."

There was time for one final group hug, and then Rita lightened the mood.

"Okay, pressy time."

Connie handed the key to the Time Machine to Dylan, who put it carefully in his pocket.

With a huge grin Rita handed over a massive bag.

"Not all for you, mind, Ethan!"

A giant bag of French Pastries.

"They'll go well with a cup of coffee when we've landed again. Thanks, ladies."

They walked the short distance to the machine. Dylan operated the opening, everybody walked inside, with their final greetings.

"Love you, Connie. Love you, Rita."

"Take care, everybody."

"If my baby's a girl, I'm going to name her after you and Rita."

"Bye! Love you all!"

"So" said Cal to Dylan who seemed to have become the unofficial leader, "Which way now?"

"Let's try backwards again."

The machine moved on its way. Connie and Rita watched it till it had vanished, and then hugged each other, crying.

"Come on, Rita Skeeter. We need to get ready for tonight's performance."

"The show must go on" quoted Rita through her tears.

A/N If I'd given my chapters names this one would have to be 'For He's a Jolly Good Othello'.

The machine landed and as usual Dylan went out to spy around. He saw a couple of men strutting down the cobbled street in a doublet and hose, and heard them speaking for a while.

He went back, stood in the doorway and declaimed:

"Hey nonny bloody nonny."

He'd heard the two fops talking:

"Fie, Sir Lloyd, I adore those new hose! I did not know they could be found in purple!"

"Tush, Sir Denham! Everything can be found at Mistress Eve's fine store! I have a mind to wear these new hose when we see the new Shakespeare play, 'Othello', next week with the wonderful Sir Harry Harper in the title role!"

"They say that Good Queen Bess herself is to come to the village to see this play! I pray it will not be her last visit; every year I fear that we shall lose her."

Dylan went back into the machine and explained the situation.

"Our clothes will just about pass, if we're meant to be peasants, and Jess's look fine. But the coins we've brought from France would cause more problems if we try to use them. So we're back to making money again."

"Jack Point!" Ben said suddenly.

"What are you babbling about now?" Dylan snapped. Ben just smiled.

"That's it, keep up that sneer. Dylan, Jack Point was the one character in Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas who didn't have a happy ending. He died of grief."

"Well-deserved, considering the torture that sodding music puts me through. But what's your… um… point here?"

"He made money by entertaining the crowds with his sweetheart. Come on, Dylan… listen…"

The plan seemed good except for one thing.

"They had a habit of tipping entertainers who couldn't raise a smile into the river. Can you swim, Dylan?"

"Ye-es" said Dylan, with a sense of foreboding.

Ben and Dylan took up their stance at opposite ends of what appeared to be the Village Green. Ben began to sing 'Greensleeves'. A 'drunken' Dylan lurched over to him, knocking him down.

"Sir, you have interrupted my song to my sweetheart, and we must fight!"

"Such a poor song and bad voice cannot be ruined further! My horse has a better singing voice, has he not?" Dylan appealed to the children on the green.

Cal and Ethan ran out to join in; Cal playing the handsome flirt who loved to court the ladies, Ethan the innocent schoolboy. All four of them challenged each other to a fight, and all four of them invented excuses to save their own skins. By the time the banter was at an end, they had a fine pile of coins, some of them more than copper. Suddenly a voice boomed out:

"You four! Come with me!"

Hell, thought Dylan, we've been here five minutes and here we are in trouble again.

(


	25. Chapter 25

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Surprisingly, the man led them to a building where a rehearsal for Othello was in progress.

"I am Sir Jeffrey Collier, and I shall be presenting this production of Mr Shakespeare's new play at the Globe next week. You four will give me your honest opinions and for that I shall give you twenty crowns apiece."

A good sum of money indeed. Ben, Dylan, Cal and Ethan took their seats. Ethan was relieved that Jess was safely in the machine, probably drinking tea with her feet up.

They watched in polite silence. Everybody but Ethan watched because they were enjoying the drama. Cal's heart sank, however, because he knew what Ethan's silence meant. He was having one of his man-crushes again. Ethan, though heterosexual, would occasionally hero-worship a celebrity or an actor. But it wasn't the handsome but snotty-looking actor who played Cassio that held Ethan's attention; it was the man playing the tragic heroine, Desdemona.

"Well?" boomed Sir Jeffrey at the end of the scene.

Cal just had to be honest.

"It's an excellent production, Sir, but there is one thing I feel I should add. Michael Cassio would never dream of having an affair with the wife of his respected General… but he's a man given to flirting. I would make Cassio flirt a little more."

"Demonstrate how."

Cal bounded on to the makeshift stage and, picking up the script, demonstrated just how flirtatious Cassio could be while keeping within the bounds of decency.

"Adam, you must play the part like Master-?"

"Knight, Sir. Caleb Knight."

"Play the scene like Caleb has. What say you, Dagobert?"

The actor playing Desdemona said in a deeper voice than expected:

"He plays it very fine."

Adam Trueman, the actor playing Cassio, flung down the goblet that he was using for a prop.

"If Master Caleb Knight plays the part so well then Mr Caleb Knight may play it altogether. I quit you, Sir. Kit Marlowe pays his actors better, anyway."

And, pushing Cal rudely aside, Adam stalked out.

"I'm sorry."

"Nay, Master Knight, he is the one who has acted badly. Are you a quick study? Can you learn Cassio's part entire by next week?"

"I can, Sir."

"Then, Master Knight, you are engaged!"

The next days were spent moving into rooms, this time at an Inn called, predictably, the Queen's Head. The Innkeeper's daughter, Mistress Linda, was an expert at making pies, which was just as well because she had a soft spot for Ethan.

They bought plain clothes for Jess and Lucius, not through meanness but because Lucius much preferred the simpler peasant-style ones, while Jess needed space and comfort rather than fashion. They'd given up on collecting artefacts, knowing the probable grim fate that would await them once they returned home in 2014. The talisman from Grey Owl, however, Ben always kept on a chain around his neck, and Dylan would tease him as he gently moved it aside in the night to kiss Ben's throat or chest.

"I'm keeping this forever; it was a special gift", Ben would maintain.

Cal worried that Harry Harper would be a Prima Donna as Adam had been, but Harry was the opposite. A handsome, friendly man, he was generous to his fellow actors. He could also imitate them all accurately and they often laughed at him despite themselves.

There was no sign of a comedian at rehearsals, however, when Harry performed the final scene when Othello realises that he has killed his innocent wife for nothing, and stabs himself. The entire company and their friends were overawed. He also had some kind words to say about Cal's performance.

"You should take up the theatre as a career, Master Knight, you're a fine actor and a handsome one."

As for Mr Mancrush Hardy, he got very emotional watching Dagobert, as Desdemona, lying dead in his little blonde wig and white nightgown. Even when the others teased him, he staunchly defended his new hero.

"It takes a real man to play Desdemona!"

Sunday came, and there was a rest from rehearsals. Ethan, who had just seen that Mistress Linda had brought out a fresh batch of pies from the oven, was happy to stay and keep Jess and Lucius company while Dylan, Ben and Cal went for a walk in the woods.

"Linda, dear Linda, oh bake me a pie

To delight my guts and to please my eye" sang Ethan.

"Fie, Master Ethan, how is it that you eat like a beast and stay so slim?" she chided.

But soon she placed a hot pie in front of Ethan and Lucius. Greedy as Ethan could be, he would never have eaten a child's share of food, so Lucius had a decent plateful of pie.

Ben, Cal and Dylan enjoyed the thick carpet of bluebells as they walked. They came upon a stream. They knew this one would not be full of broken glass and disgusting sweet wrappers like the streams they knew.

"I dare you" Ben said to Dylan.

"I will if you will."

Then they looked at Cal.

"We will if you will."

Soon they were all paddling like children. Suddenly there was a pained mewing sound.

"Ahh, it's a cat and it's hurt." Ben's heartstrings were being tugged yet again.

They hastily put their shoes back on and searched in the direction of the mewing. A little black cat was limping along, its paw broken.

Dylan picked it up gently. It clawed out at him at first, then was comforted by the gentle stroking movements and the warmth of Dylan's body.

"Little black sod" he told it, trying to sound uncaring. Then he said:

"Let's take it back to the village. If nobody claims it, Lucius would love to have it."

"You'll leave that cat alone and pretend you've not seen it or I'll cut you all open!"

An angry-looking young man came out of a small cave, holding a dagger out on the three travellers.

"Max" came a pained voice, "I've told you before that's not the way."

Max took no notice, and lunged at them with the dagger. He suddenly found himself flat on his back with Cal standing over him.

"I knew those martial arts classes would come in handy!" he grinned.

"We only wanted to help your cat, little black sod that it is, and we don't take kindly to being threatened with disembowelment" growled Dylan.

"Tell us why we don't kill you right now" added Cal.

"Guys, there's a woman with him" Ben pleaded.

"Please don't hurt him" came a soft, gentle voice from within the cave, "He just wanted to protect me."

Cal still had Max at dagger point.

"Take us into that cave."

Max grudgingly led the way into the cave. A woman, a little older than Max, sat there on a covering that had probably been a skirt in a better life.

"Now I suppose you'll kill me and then run and tell the village you've caught the witch!" Max snarled.

From the look in his eyes they could see this was no joke.

(


	26. Chapter 26

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

"Zoe is no witch" Max continued heatedly, "She used concoctions made from herbs to help people in the village. For a time they came to her, begging for her help. She could do no wrong then" he added bitterly.

"And what happened?" Ben asked gently.

"One of the babies that she'd helped before took sick again and died. Then the mob decided they'd have some entertainment. First they broke her little cat's paw-"

Ben gave a moan of disbelief.

"-Then they planned to drag Zoe to the pond and duck her. If she'd drowned she'd have been innocent. If she'd floated, that would have proved her a witch and they'd have burned her alive. A pleasant choice, was it not?"

Zoe smiled at Ben.

"My Coriander likes you; he doesn't settle with people he fears."

Zoe took the cat from Ben, and then began to mix herbs in a bowl with milk from a pitcher. The little cat lapped, while Zoe bandaged his leg.

"We just wanted to help your cat" Ben repeated.

"So will you betray us to the mob?" Max asked again wearily.

"Far from it! I can assure you that, where we come from, women like Zoe are called Healers, not witches." Dylan was adamant.

"So you're not from these parts, Master-?" Zoe began.

"Dylan. This is Ben, and this Caleb."

"I am Zoe, and this is Maximilian, named thus because his mother read the name in a play about Ancient Rome, and liked it."

"Our Mr Shakespeare wouldn't have written such piffle, and had my mother read something of his instead, I might now be called a sensible name like Jonathan."

Dylan was amused by Max's outbursts; there was something of the naughty child in him.

"How do you manage here, Zoe?" he asked.

"I bring her all she needs" snapped the belligerent Max.

"Tomorrow we'll come back with more clothes for you. We'll try to find a way to get you and Max to a place of safety, Zoe."

"How can we trust you?" snapped Max.

"I trust them. They have honest eyes, and Coriander likes them."

"I'm sorry that I threatened you, Sirs" Max said, now with genuine contrition.

"We all do stupid things when those we love are under threat" said Dylan, remembering how Rita had got herself into hot water when she'd saved Connie from Jordan the Poisoner.

The three men discussed the plan as they walked back. What could be safer for Zoe and Max than to travel in the time machine?

"Our Ethan will have to get used to the reduced rations" Cal laughed.

Rehearsals continued for 'Othello' and Cal was kept busy for most of the day. The others found menial but reliable tasks to help earn their keep.

By night, one of them would go into the forest with a lantern and bring clothes and food for Zoe and Max; Max being just as much as a fugitive. The mob knew him as Zoe's lover.

"You and your friends have been kind and I have behaved like a Barbarian towards you" he told them sadly.

"Ah, no more of that talk. How's the little cat?" Ben asked.

Max grinned.

"Hopping around as well on three legs as he ever did on four!"

"Your Zoe's a good healer. And that's the only reason the fools suspect her of witchcraft, because she can mix potions and animals love her" Dylan told him.

Max nodded sadly.

The entire cast of Othello received a shock two days later.

They were rehearsing the scene where Iago tricks Cassio into talking about his relationship with the town harlot, Bianca. Iago makes Othello believe it's Desdemona that Cassio is bragging about, and Cal used his skills to come across as his most chauvinistic.

Just then, Lord Meyer, one of Queen Elizabeth's most high-ranking officials, strode on to the stage, to the annoyance of Sir Jeffrey.

"Sirrah, we rehearse a play here" he snapped.

"A play that Queen Elizabeth herself wishes to see herself on Saturday evening."

The cast were shell-shocked; even the easy-going Harry Harper was rattled. Cal was very uneasy, this wasn't like the reality shows he'd been brought up with as a child, if he failed this task he could be spending time in prison, not just told 'sorry, it's a no from me.'

Harry kindly put Caleb at his ease.

"Our Queen likes handsome young men. You could stand on that stage and gibber like an ape and she would still adore your performance."

Cal smiled and thanked him.

The two officials shook hands and Meyer left.

"Well I'm not afraid. I know I'm quite the favourite with Her Majesty" bragged Dagobert.

Then he fainted.

"My dear friend, are you all right?" asked Ethan.

Dagobert raised himself up on one shoulder.

"I shall feel so much better if you would be a sweetheart, Ethan, and fetch me some fresh cool water from the pump."

Ethan ran outside. Cal shook his head.

Ben and Dylan took over the plans for the rescue of Max and Zoe, and explained things to Jess and Lucius. Lucius asked if the 'animal lady' would be bringing her cat along, and Dylan reassured him that she would be.

"Not that I can stand the little furry sod, but never mind" he added.

Ethan, who had been in food stock heaven since Connie and Rita had left the group, went round furtively checking just how much was left. Two people and a cat could make a serious dent in the supplies.

Never mind, there was always Mistress Linda and her wonderful pies.

At last it was the day of the Command Performance, and Cal was finding it hard to eat or drink much.

Linda was a little upset because he wasn't eating much of the pie she'd just made for him.

"Ah, 'tis a fine pie, Mistress Linda, but I cannot do it justice today" he explained.

"Not a problem" said Ethan, and deftly moved the uneaten pie on to his own place.

Cal watched him with a mixture of disgust and amusement.

"Ethan, if we ever travel to a place where there's a famine, you are going to be in serious trouble."

Ethan raised his knife in an ironic salute.

During the course of the final rehearsal, Dagobert often felt weak with nerves, and Cal was annoyed at the number of times he sent Ethan running for water from the pump. Cal had a serious urge to punch Dagobert.

At last it was time for the play. Ben, Dylan, Lucius and Ethan stood in the pit, proud and anxious for Cal at the same time.

Then it was the opening scene, and there was no more time for nerves. Cal found himself becoming caught up in his performance, but still found time to glance covertly at the Great Queen. Everything that the history books said was true; the white face due to the mask-like cosmetics she used, the ruined teeth due to eating too many sweetmeats. Yet her eyes were clear and intelligent and she looked an imposing figure.

Cal continued to be engrossed in his role and drew plenty of applause at the end, though the main kudos went to Harry with his heartrending performance as Othello. Dagobert was surprisingly good and Cal caught a glimpse of Ethan snivelling into his handkerchief from time to time.

Even the ruffians in the pit were moved.

Elizabeth came round to speak to the players afterwards.

"Master Knight!" she smiled, "Such a worthy newcomer to this company.

Cal decided to be bold, and kissed her hand.

Elizabeth liked this handsome young man, and took a ring from one of her fingers, putting it into Cal's hand.

An idea flashed through his mind – a Royal Pardon for Zoe?

"Gracious Queen" he said softly, "Might I have a moment to speak to you alone? I have a boon to ask that would be more precious than even this lovely ring."

He had to play it carefully; one wrong word or false move and more lives than Zoe's and Max's could be at stake.

(


	27. Chapter 27

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

WARNING: Major character death.

The next day Ethan overheard something that changed his mind about his beloved Dagobert.

He was enjoying a late breakfast at the inn when he heard Dagobert speaking to young Tobias, who played Roderigo in the adjoining room:

Ethan didn't want his idol to see him stuffing his face and so he kept quiet and continued to eat. Dagobert's voice carried over to him:

"I tell you, Toby, anything I want and my little lapdog Ethan runs to fetch it for me."

"I hope he's no more to you than your lapdog!"

"Pooh, he likes the wenches; he already has one with him, and she's great with child. Now that pretty Benjamin is like myself, but he's in love with another… so no fun to be had there."

Ethan heard several bubbles bursting. Little bubbles of hero worship for Dagobert.

"Are you not well, Ethan?" asked kind-hearted Linda, when she came to remove Ethan's plate, which was usually empty by this time.

"Alas, Mistress Linda, I did not feel so well today but I think I shall shortly recover. I had trouble seeing but now my eyes are both clear."

"Well" said that kind lady, "Let me know when you have your appetite back and there will be a pie for you."

Zoe sat stroking Coriander when she heard a feeble knock at the door. She smiled; old Morag had come to call. Morag suffered from gripes in her belly that nobody had been able to cure for her, but Zoe had found just the right mix of herbs. Max had been furious when Morag had discovered the cave, but the old woman had been clear. If Max harmed Morag, she, Zoe, would leave him. She never charged the old lady a fee for her treatment, and Morag would often visit with treats in her apron pocked for Zoe and Coriander. Never anything for Max; the old lady resented the way he'd threatened her.

It was indeed Morag but she was weeping and shaking.

"Are the pains worse? Come and sit down, Morag, and let's see what I can do."

The old woman cut her off grimly.

"Zoe, your hiding place has been discovered! That worthless pair, Thomas and Scarlett, came into the forest for a tryst, and came upon your cave. Tom told Scarlett to forget what she has seen but the girl is spiteful and has told the villagers. They're coming for you, Zoe… first they'll take you to the pond, then if you don't drown, the stake…"

The old woman's voice dissolved into sobs, as Zoe hugged her.

"Come, little Coriander. Drink it all, every drop. There! Isn't that good?" Zoe cooed to the little cat as she stroked him.

Cal and the Queens' retinue rode to the village. As Cal dismounted and walked in front of the Queen out of courtesy – the Elizabethans constantly feared assassination – a furious, weeping Max, who had lost all sense of reason, ran at him, knife at the ready.

"You betrayed us to the mob and you'll get my knife in your gut for it!"

"Hold! Have you gone insane?" came Elizabeth's voice, "Lay one finger on Master Knight and die for it!"

Max backed off but still babbled in grief:

"But he told them where my Zoe was and now the mob have come for her and mean to drown or burn her!"

"How could he have betrayed her, you young fool, when he was brave enough to ask me to publicly pardon her? Now stop snivelling, you young hothead, and we'll intercept the mob. And you owe everything to Master Knight here!"

"Dear Heaven, Caleb, I'm sorry" Max began.

"Another time. All that matters now is saving Zoe!"

Cal was already on the horse he'd been given and motioning for Max to ride behind him.

Zoe, soaked and shivering, was dragged from the ducking stool by the mob.

"Witch! She did not drown! Let us burn her right now!" Scarlett crowed in triumph.

Her joy was somewhat dimmed by the fact that Zoe was acting as if she was in another world, her movements like those of an automaton, her eyes glassy. Fear in her belly, thought Scarlett, well, we will soon see her squirming in agony as she burns.

Zoe was tied to the stake, and had Coriander at her feet. The wretched animal seemed to be asleep, thought Scarlett, well, they'd prod it awake so it felt all the agony of burning.

She mentioned this to Thomas, who looked away from her, sickened. His betrothed had a cruel streak.

"Hold!" the imperious voice rang out.

The Queen. Master Thomas was the first one upon his knees.

Scarlett bit back her disappointment; surely the execution of a witch could only be entertainment for Her Majesty?

"Release this woman! She and her man have my lifelong protection! The next to lay an unfriendly hand on her will hang before sunset."

Scarlett crept quietly to Thomas's side; he pushed her away.

Zoe was released. Max was almost weeping in relief and joy, but Cal realised something was wrong.

He knew what it was when Zoe collapsed in Max's arms. Now he knew why the cat was so still.

"Forgive me, Max, darling… I could not face the flames, so I mixed some herbs into milk. I put some in Coriander's milk, too. They'd have burned my little cat alive…"

"No, Zoe! Don't leave me!" Max wept like a child. But her head fell on his chest and she was still. Cal, although unused to praying, began to say a prayer for them both. And for poor Coriander.

"I'll hang all this mob for what they have done today!" stormed Elizabeth. Cal, uncaring, nodded, then saw a terrified young woman trying to hush a sobbing baby.

"Please let them live, Majesty" he begged, "They are ignorant fools, no more, no less."

Elizabeth nodded.

"You may keep your lives! But know that this village has incurred my gross displeasure, and it shall be a long time before you receive another visit from your Queen!"

"Bring your lady and her little cat" she told Max, "They shall have a decent burial at Our expense, and the rules about suicide shall be forgotten for this time. Come, Master Knight. It seems your courage in speaking out for this poor lady have been but in vain."

The last Cal heard and saw of the mob was Master Thomas telling a snivelling Scarlett that they were no longer betrothed.

Later, as they left the freshly-dug grave, Cal put his hand on Max's arm.

"Friend, if you wish to travel with my companions and myself, you would be welcome."

Max, who seemed to have aged in just a few hours, shook his head.

"Thank you Master Caleb, but Her Majesty interceded for my Zoe and I shall never forget that."

He bowed to the Queen.

"Madam, if I can serve you I shall make it my life's work."

"We shall see what can be done for you, Master Maximilian."

Cal had to tell the others the heartbreaking news, and poor Lucius wept for a long while over the fate of the kind lady and her cat. Ben and Dylan comforted him as much as they could between them.

There was one happy incident before they all left in the time machine, however. Cal had wanted to say goodbye to Sir Jeffrey and the theatre company personally.

"Ah, Caleb, we are losing a fine actor" said Sir Jeffrey sadly.

"Ah, no, there are many young men in this village who would love to play the role of Cassio!"

Sir Jeffrey gladly let them all watch the rehearsal. Presently Dagobert purred:

"I am so hot! Prithee, dear Ethan, do fetch me some cool water from the pump!"

"Water from the pump! Of course!" Ethan smiled, making Cal want to punch him.

Ethan returned smiling with a pail.

"So Bag O' Dirt – beg pardon, Dagobert! – is hot, is he? I shall cool you down!"

Dagobert squealed long and loud as the icy water hit him.

"Your little lapdog has run mad!" Ethan cried out cheerfully.

He flung a coin to Sir Jeffrey on his way out:

"Sir Jeffrey, I prithee, buy Dagobert a new wig! The one the big poser has is all wet!"

It was the moment they had all needed to make them smile again. But where to now, and what fresh heartaches awaited?

(


	28. Chapter 28

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT PLUS

A/N. For part of this story, the format will be a little different but it will return to the usual third-person narrative for the last few chapters. I'm not disclosing the year in which this is set until later – I have my reasons. I think you should get a good idea of the period though.

EXTRACTS FROM ROBYN MILLER'S JOURNAL

MONDAY THE 27TH OCTOBER

Dear Journal

Alas I am back at the Evelyn Montgomery Finishing School for Young Ladies, after such an excellent holiday in Paris. It is hard, dear Journal, to come back to such a grim place after the delights of Paris. Miss Bateman, our headmistress, is as strict as ever, and Mr Griffiths – my beloved Mr Griffiths – has gone to Holby Academy for good. I had a little weep with my 'set', Alicia, Tina, Lily and Louise to make us all feel better.

Oh this loathsome school! My set and I are disgusted – Honey Wright is back for another year. Honey her name might be but she's more like vinegar. I do not know why the hag keeps coming back here, she will never be properly finished. She saw my copy of Great Expectations and sneered: "Fiction addles the mind. I shall go and read my set of encyclopaedias and educate my mind."

Oh this school surely cannot get worse. Miss Bateman has decided that my set and I are evil influences on each other and we have been split up. I am to share a room with Honey Wright! Already Miss Vitriol has sneered at my teddy bear, Grantaire. I need him to cuddle in the night when I feel unhappy.

The old – I shall say it! – bag has turned out the lights. She says they give her a migraine. I shall give her a migraine soon with a stout hammer. I loathe this school!

TUESDAY THE 28TH OCTOBER

Dear Journal,

Today was much better. Miss Bateman announced that the school is to have five new teachers; a Miss Harrison who will teach us needlework, a Mr Chiltern who will teach us singing, a Mr Hardy whose task it will be to teach us reading and drama, and Mr Knight who will teach us dancing. There will also be a doctor, Dr Keogh, who will treat our minor ailments where ever decency allows. My set and I have decided that they will all be wrinkled old prunes and we are plotting how best to annoy them. They will arrive on Friday.

Such fun! My set and I are to secretly meet in the summerhouse on Friday at the witching hour! We shall bring lanterns to celebrate All Hallows Eve, and tell each other blood-curdling stories. We shall take great care to prevent that sneak Wright from finding out. She was on at me today because I said I was becoming too plump. "It is your soul and not your earthly body that matters, Robyn Miller" she intoned in that preaching drone of hers. One day I shall punch her and risk expulsion.

THURSDAY THE 30TH OCTOBER

My set and I have a naughty plan. We shall torment Mr Knight by being as clumsy as cattle in his classes, and Mr Chiltern by acting as if we are tone-deaf. Mr Hardy we shall just cheek as much as possible, and we have not thought yet about how we shall settle Miss Harrison's hash. I must confess that I have the urge to jab a needle into that Wright sneak's eyes. I must control these wicked urges.

FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! The new teachers arrived today. Each of the men is a veritable Adonis! Miss Harrison is so pretty, too. Dr Keogh is the guardian of a little boy called Lucius – he told us he lost his wife in Paris, which made us all so sad – but it's obvious that lovely Mr Chiltern, his friend, dotes upon the little boy. Mr Hardy is kind and pleasant, and oh, Mr Knight! I cannot wait to dance with him.

I made a total hash of my needlework today but Miss Harrison was so sweet and kind to me.

"We all have different talents, Robyn" she told me kindly, "Just do your best and I shall be happy."

Later, the most shocking thing happened! We all crept out to our secret Halloween rendezvous and were all nibbling on the cake we had saved for our midnight feast, when we heard a noise. A rustling. Alicia whispered that it might be a real ghost and we all had to cover our mouths so we did not squeal aloud in fear. Then we saw who it was. Mr Hardy and Miss Harrison, who must be his sweetheart, coming out for a secret tryst too! They were kissing. Mr Hardy looks so lovely when he kisses! Well, then the shocking thing happened! Mr Hardy said "In here, sweetheart" and he and Miss Harrison entered the summerhouse and discovered our little meeting!

"Oh please don't tell Miss Bateman" I pleaded, "We should be expelled and I should die of shame!"

Mr Hardy gave us a smile that turned our innards to water and he said:

"I shall not tell her about you if you will not tell her about Miss Harrison and myself."

Then he said hopefully:

"Is there any of that nice cake left, ladies?"

We all handed over our cake like little lambs.

School is going to be wonderful this term!

MONDAY 3RD NOVEMBER

Our classes began with our wonderful dancing and singing teachers today. We have found out their Christian names! Mr Knight is Caleb, and Mr Chiltern is Benjamin! How romantic. Instead of being clumsy with Mr Knight, we are all vying with each other to be the best in Mr Knight's class. Honey Wright said she would not dance, as dancing was a sin. He told her it was a good form of exercise and added:

"While you are in my classes, Miss Wright, dance you will."

Honey said she would obtain a note from her mother saying she did not have to dance.

Mr Knight – no, this is a private journal and I WILL call him Caleb! - nodded and then said:

"But until the note arrives, you will dance. And when the note does arrive I shall show it to Miss Bateman to see how she feels about this."

I swear she stood on his toes on purpose! I wanted to kiss each of his lovely toes better.

Then it was singing with lovely Benjamin! I thought he would make us all sing dirges like "Who is Sylvia?" but he said he had a song that he had brought from his travels and wanted to teach us. Oh, such a comical song! It is about a group of friends who live in a yellow submarine! A submarine, he tells us, is a vessel used by Her Majesty's Navy. Dr Keogh – Dylan – can play the piano a little and accompanies us as we sing. He said something very strange about the submarine song: "Ben, you're warped!" Benjamin says we will sing something more serious next time, but wanted us all to become friends so he had chosen something light-hearted. Who would not be friends with such a darling! And we have Mr Hardy – Ethan – to discuss reading with us this afternoon.

I was having the most beautiful daydream about Benjamin, Dylan, Caleb and Ethan, all in love with me and my not knowing who to choose! And then that- that Vinegar Wright spoiled it by screeching:

"What are you thinking of, Robyn, with the window wide open in November! Close it at once or I shall contract pneumonia and die!"

I wish I been strong enough to throw her through the window. To be jerked out of such a divine dream by that harridan! I rage, Journal, I rage!

Tuesday 4th November

Oh I am in despair! Mr Fairhead, the History master, caught me drawing a large heart with mine and lovely Caleb's entwined. He did not guess whose initials I wrote, he just grumbled about 'some boy from the village'. I am to write an essay about Ancient Rome by Friday. I cannot! I shall receive a black mark!

(


	29. Chapter 29

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

A/N: For Sweeet-as-Honey: Sorry if I made you think the end of the story was coming. Not quite yet, it's just that this is probably the longest era the travellers stay in… and anything beyond that would be a spoiler! I can't tell you how pleased I am you like the 'diary' format. That'll continue for a while. Thanks for all your support!

WEDNESDAY 5TH NOVEMBER

Oh, magical day! And tonight we are allowed to go to the village to watch the firework display – and darling Caleb, Ethan, Benjamin and Dylan will be our escorts. Though Ethan will be caring for his sweet Jess most of the time. They are very close indeed. I think Jess would be beautiful indeed if she wore tighter clothes but she prefers flowing garments that don't flatter her figure. Maybe she is shy.

But I digress. The miracles first began when I was sitting on a grassy bank in the school grounds, trying to rack my brains about Ancient Rome, when up comes little Lucius, playing with a ball. Bless him, he is so careful not to get in our way with his games. He smiled at me and said "Hello Miss Miller. How are you?" So polite!

I did not want to send him away but had to tell him that I had to write an essay about Ancient Rome by Friday. He sat beside me and said "And will you write about the poor children swimming in the Tiber? And how, when a baby was born to a poor family, and it was a girl, it was taken into the wilderness to die, because that is very sad, and people should know?"

I made a mental note to write all this.

"And the cruel shows in the Arena with Gladiators sent to fight lions, or criminals put in the arena for the lions to destroy?"

His little face fell here.

"I did not like that, with the lions" he said, "They only killed to defend themselves… and sometimes they could not. I love all animals, Miss Miller."

Then he sighed and changed the subject.

"Ah, another thing you should put in your essay is the great procession through Rome when Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was the guest of Julius Caesar."

And gradually the little sweet told me enough for my essay, and more! I must buy him a gift next time we are in the village.

"How do you know all this?" I asked him.

"I love to read about Ancient Rome" he confessed.

He looked a little shy after that. I believe Lucius is a child genius and is too humble to say so.

THURSDAY 6TH OF NOVEMBER

Yesterday evening was as magical as the day. After our dinner we formed two crocodiles, one behind lovely Benjamin and one behind scrumptious Caleb. I was in Caleb's line! Honey Wrong would not come with us. She said fireworks were the devil's invention. Caleb smiled and told her they were man-made. Oh the mean look she gave him!

Now normally my set and I love the loud bangs and pretty lights but we had a plot. Every time a firework exploded we jumped and grabbed at either Benjamin, Caleb, Ethan or Dylan.

Dylan said to us somewhat drily that we should face our fears instead of jumping. Lily went all maidenly and said she tried but her fears were bigger.

"You should come to my office after hours to discuss this" he said. Lily got all excited until he said "I'll ask Miss Harrison to take some notes during the session."

But a little while later he let slip the loveliest news!

"I hope the bloody fireworks – pardon me, ladies! – don't scare my new dog next year."

Lucius beamed and said:

"Can I tell now, please?"

Dylan nodded and Lucius babbled:

"We might stay here for some time, and Mr De Silva at the General Emporium cannot afford to keep his dog any more. Miss Bateman says my d- my guardian can have her and keep her at the school. She's a Lurcher dog and her name's Dervla!"

Oh how the little mite's eyes shone!

I would have thought that nothing could be nicer than that evening, but today, ah, today, we have begun to read Romeo and Juliet with Mr Hardy. Ah, what a sweet Romeo he would be, with Dylan as his sharp-tongued friend Mercutio. Benjamin could be Benvolio, for that is very like his own name, and lovely Caleb as the hot-headed Tybalt. Oh I love that play now.

And I received a gold star from Mr Fairhead for my essay about Ancient Rome. Honey Wrong gave me such a glare as if I'd cheated, but what can she prove?

Village Day is tomorrow. We are to walk behind Benjamin. I heard Dylan saying to him "Count them all before you set out, don't lose any." Ah how he teases poor Benjamin.

Then later he casually announced that he would be coming on the walk too, along with Dervla and Lucius. Dervla is a big dog; I hope she doesn't bite.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 7TH

Dervla is as gentle as a lamb and as affectionate as a kitten! Benjamin is besotted with her. But not quite as besotted as Dylan seems to be.

We are back from the walk and have had afternoon lessons. Miss Bateman has made a wonderful announcement. We are to perform a pantomime in the village hall before we break up for Christmas! Benjamin is in charge of the music, Ethan the script, Caleb the dancing, and dear Dylan will play the piano. I'm sure he also muttered something like:

"And hand out the Valium." What on earth is Valium? I think I must have misheard him. The pantomime we are to do is called Goody Two Shoes. Miss Bateman says it's a fine moral story. Goody, the kindest and prettiest girl in the village, is given a pair of magic shoes by a good fairy. The shoes help make wishes come true. Alas, our kind heroine runs out of wishes because of her kind heart, and now she and her Granny Mollie are to be homeless unless she marries the evil squire. But the Prince who has visited the village once and fallen in love with her comes back at just the right moment!

Goody Two Shoes would suit Honey Wrong because that's who she thinks she is. She said to Benjamin that pantomimes were frivolous and we would be better doing a play with a religious theme. Benjamin smiled and said "Ah Miss Wright, maybe somebody will one day write a musical drama about a story from the Bible, but who that man would be, I just don't know." She glared at him, the old sour face.

I wonder who shall have what part?

SATURDAY THE 8TH NOVEMBER

You will note, dear reader, that this is written on plain paper and is spotted with my weeping. And why? That poisonous Honey has taken my journal and handed it to Caleb, saying that it concerns him and other teachers. My set have been hugging me all day and Dervla has come along to lick my face, but I cannot be consoled.

I know I shall be expelled!

(


	30. Chapter 30

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY

This chapter introduces an original character, Boris Fletcher.

Just a little note: I'm aware that there could have been racial issues which decided status, education, etc at this period in time but have decided not to mention that fact for the sake of the plot - and because I loathe racism.

SATURDAY 8TH NOVEMBER

We are due to go to the village. Despite my misery I must remember a gift for little Lucius. It could be the last time I see him.

Well, New Secret Journal, how things have changed. We were due to be accompanied on our walk by Mr Fairhead, who I do not dislike as much since my gold star, but Mr Knight asked if he could take his place. I expected the worst, especially when Caleb fell into step beside me. Then he said to me:

"I believe this is yours, Robyn. It was put into my hands by a trouble-maker, and I shall be speaking to her on Monday, but I swear, hand on heart, that I have not read a word of it."

(Hand on his heart! To me!)

Then he gave me a delectable wink and said to me:

"If you have any money to spare, I would suggest you go and buy a new journal, one that has a lock and key, while we're here."

I all but skipped over to the Emporium at shopping time. I have some lovely coloured marbles for Lucius and a journal with a lock, for myself. And lovely Caleb has dropped the old journal into the incinerator!

I was walking back into school when I heard Vinegar Guts weeping in the girls' rest room. She came out and said venomously:

"I shall pay Mr Knight back for this. I have suspicions about his brother, Ethan, and that Jessica Harrison. I shall be telling them to Mrs Bateman and then let's see who's smiling."

The horrid fussbucket! I wish she would get one of her migraines and … no, I don't wish her to die of it, I take that back. But she makes me so angry.

SUNDAY 9TH NOVEMBER

We attended Church as usual. Ethan looked so handsome in his suit – Louise was sighing all morning – and Miss Harrison was so pretty in her new bonnet. Honey Venom said in a loud whisper that Miss Harrison looked like a harlot in her bonnet, and Ethan was really angry. In a tone of ice he told her to see him first thing on Monday morning.

MONDAY 10TH NOVEMBER

I did something shameful. I hid near Ethan's classroom to hear what he had to say to Vinegar Guts. I could not hear his words but she came out of the room with her eyes red from weeping yet again. I would not like to upset sweet Mr Hardy, I saw him as he came out and his lips were tight and his eyes flashing.

I have been in fear for my education and future yet again. I went into the classroom for our English lesson and there was a horrible drawing of Ethan and Jessica in – I have to say this! – the act of making love. I grabbed the eraser and worked on it but Mr Fairhead came in halfway through and sent me off to Miss Bateman.

Oh the relief. The lovely art mistress Mrs Roach has saved me. She said at once that it was not my style of drawing. Neither, alas, was it Vinegar Guts' style. A search will be made for the culprit. But alas, it is the image of Ethan's naked posterior that lingers most in my mind. I shall not go to Heaven.

TUESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER

Oh the relief. The culprit is not one of us; it is the caretaker's son, Boris Fletcher! Our lovely Benjamin caught him sneaking into the classroom, chalk in hand and actually dragged him to Miss Bateman! Gentle Benjamin, dragging somebody! Boris has a vile little gang that calls we girls 'spoiled sluts' and drew the picture to make mischief. He was bragging about it to his cronies, Abs Denham and Jay Faldren. Miss Bateman has given Mr Fletcher a month to sort Boris out or lose his position. Fletcher called Benjamin an interfering little nobody and says he'll make him pay if he loses his job.

WEDNESDAY 12TH NOVEMBER

Oh joy! The cast list has been given out for the pantomime. Lily is to play Goody; Tina is to be Fairy Nuff. We did not understand this at first until we asked Ethan and he said that this would be because every time somebody asks her to grant them a wish she will say "fair enough." Tina is very good at saying 'fair enough' in a sweet fairy voice. Louise will play Tommy, Goody's best friend and I am to be Angela, his sweetheart. It is conceited of me to brag so but I get the best line. Tommy goes to sea to try to earn money for Granny Molly – Miss Bateman herself will play Granny – and he comes back with half a dozen pretty island maidens. Angela is not pleased and says "I asked you to bring me back a string of pearls, not a string of _girls_!" Alicia will play Prince Jonathan. And our lovely Caleb himself will play the horrid Squire Grabitall. I told him –how forward of me! – that he was not ugly enough. He said it was important to show that some people can have a normal face but a black heart. I like that. Benjamin will play the Squire's servant, Luckless, who is always being slapped by the mean Squire. In the end the roles are reversed and the Squire has to work for Luckless.

THURSDAY THE 13TH OF NOVEMBER

Ethan and Miss Harrison have been called to Miss Bateman's office thanks to Honey Horrid's intervening. I did not hear the entire conversation for fear of revealing my hiding place but heard Miss Bateman saying 'in the best interest of the school' and Ethan saying he 'agreed to her suggestion with all his heart'. They are going to leave! I was foolish enough to tell my set and now Louise says she will kill herself. What have I done?

Ethan made an announcement during his class. Oh the relief! He and Miss Harrison are to keep their jobs but they are to wed next month. A Winter Bride, how romantic! But alas, Louise will not be pacified and says she will still kill herself.

Louise has run away! She has left a sad little note saying that she was in love with Mr Hardy and plans to take her life if he weds another. Oh horror… I think Louise is in the river!

(


	31. Chapter 31

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

FRIDAY THE 14TH NOVEMBER

The river has been dragged; Louise is not there. I am weak with relief but in that case where is she?

Jay Faldren has called into the school, he has news. He says that he and his cronies saw Louise boarding a train for London. She had told them she was to start a new life there.

"Oh, heaven help her!" said poor Jess.

Honey Vinegar started to gloat and said that it was obvious that Jess had turned to whoring in her past to earn her keep. She did not realise that lovely Ethan was behind her when she said it. How his eyes flashed!

He picked up the Vinegar bodily and stood her not too gently in the big waste bin. How she wept and wailed. Ha ha, my set and I had been eating squishy plums earlier and now Vinegar's skirt is stained with plum juice.

"You deserve to be in that bin because for all your pious façade, your soul is filthy!" declared darling Ethan.

"I shall write to my mother!" screamed Vinegar.

"Do so; I shall tell her plenty of home truths about you" said Ethan, his face all set like an old fashioned hero's.

SATURDAY 15TH OF NOVEMBER

Oh journal, even worse news! Dylan and Benjamin set out for the station, to search for Louise in London, but as they waited, a stone with a message wrapped around it flew in through the open window. A gang have Louise and are holding her to ransom. The message stated that if somebody from the school did not leave fifty pounds and a bag of cakes and ale under the big oak tree in the village, Louise's throat will be slit! Alicia fainted on the spot when we were told the news.

Oh journal, I am bad. Darling Caleb said that he hoped Miss Bateman would not give in to blackmail. I told him loud and clear that he had no heart. I expected him to be angry but he was not, he just sat me down and explained to me that if the ransom was paid the kidnappers would either then kill Louise anyway (although he doesn't think that is likely) or demand even more ransom payment. I apologised and he was so sweet. He said I was just defending a friend, and that made me a good person.

SUNDAY THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER

The ransom demand has increased to a hundred pounds and pies are to be added to the cakes and ale. Caleb said if he didn't know better he'd expect the kidnapper to be Ethan. Now why would be joke like that? Vinegar put in her oar; she said that Louise was paying for her past sins and, that if her throat was slit, she would go straight down to hell. Lily reacted badly to the comment; Vinegar's nose will heal in time but poor Lily has a week of detentions.

MONDAY THE 17TH NOVEMBER

Dr Keogh, Benjamin and Caleb are supervising Lily's detentions. Now we wish we had all broken Vinegar's nose.

TUESDAY THE 18TH OF NOVEMBER

We have all been fools! Today, Denham, Faldren and Boris Fletcher have all been called into Miss Bateman's study. She wished to question them about seeing Louise boarding the train, and if there were any suspicious characters around. Their stories all contradicted each other. It was then that Miss Bateman realised the truth. Those three hateful thugs themselves are the kidnappers! Fletcher gloated that we would not find Louise until it was too late. My gallant Caleb, Dylan and Benjamin have organised a search party for Louise. Miss Bateman had her own method of extracting information from the three wrongdoers. Her cane swished for a very long time. I really must stop eavesdropping, it is not ladylike.

WEDNESDAY THE 19TH OF NOVEMBER

The search has gone on all day for Louise. Even Ethan has not stopped to eat. The Fletchers have been evicted and Denham and Faldren threatened with imprisonment but they will still not tell us where our poor friend is. Finally Miss Bateman ordered the teachers to rest. Benjamin was almost white with fatigue. Ethan looked relieved when his supper was put before him but I cannot blame him; men cannot search on thin air. Suddenly little Lucius ran in, and ran straight to Benjamin for a hug. He was crying a little. Benjamin and Dylan spoke to him so gently and asked him what was wrong. "I don't want to play in the attic any more" he sobbed, "I think there's a ghost."

Dylan scooped him up in his arms and shouted: "Lucius, you're a wonder."

He, Benjamin and Caleb ran up to the attic and broke down the door between the attic and the observatory room. There was Louise, bound, gagged and weeping! Caleb carried her downstairs in his strong arms and said:

"See, Lucius, this was the lady you heard and she is no ghost."

"I nearly was one!" sobbed poor Louise.

We all crowded round Loulou and hugged and kissed her. Miss Bateman says Lou must stay in bed all tomorrow and have no lessons.

Poor Benjamin fell asleep over supper and had to be carried upstairs by the village strong man, lovely Mr Chalker. Miss Bateman has given Fletcher's old job to Mr Chalker on the spot.

All this time, Ethan just ate and ate. He is a gannet, but an adorable one. Jessica just smiled upon him with so much love in her eyes!

THURSDAY THE NINETEENTH OF NOVEMBER

Ethan and Jessica have announced the wedding date. We have all been invited but Vinegar Guts has declined. Her loss. Lou says she is resigned to Ethan's betrothal now and will put it behind her and enjoy life from now on.

TUESDAY THE 24TH OF NOVEMBER

A frightening incident has happened during our walk to the village and has made us all feel so uneasy. This time it was Mr Chalker, who has already cheerfully accepted his nickname of 'Big Mac', his first name being McKenzie – who accompanied us. He is new and does not realise we should not have visited the gypsy woman, Cassandra, who comes to the village twice yearly in her gaudy caravan and charges a fee for a fortune. Miss Bateman disapproves of such things. We stepped into Cassandra's caravan one by one and were all told the same thing; that next year our lives would change drastically. We were all somewhat frightened.

Lovely Caleb, Dylan and Benjamin obtained Miss Bateman's permission to treat us to High Tea at the Copper Kettle to make up for the scare we had experienced about Loulou – poor Jessica is not feeling well so Ethan stayed in with her – and we had a scrumptious tea and good company. I saved a cinnamon roll for Ethan because I believe they are his favourites. But the gypsy's warning still lingers in my head.

What could be so terrible about the year 1914?

(


	32. Chapter 32

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

A/N: I'm moving Robyn's diary on a little as it could become tedious. The sections after this one are likely to become much darker, and this will move us forward to the end of the story, but unfortunately there's still a lot left, so you're stuck with me for a while!

FRIDAY THE 5TH DECEMBER

Oh that wicked young stable lad Lloyd! I cannot begin to tell you the havoc he has wreaked. Ethan and the other male teachers went to an inn for a meal last night, as is traditional before a wedding. Jessica went with the ladies to see an excellent Gilbert and Sullivan production – we know it was excellent because they told us about it afterwards – I know it was splendid because Jess was kind enough to tell us about it. She also handed round a huge box of sweets – Vinegar Wright refused to have one and very rudely told Jess that she did not condone a wedding that was obviously shutting the stable door after the horse had bolted. Jess just said quietly:

"What an unhappy life you must lead, Miss Wright". Honey turned round and said he hoped it rained all day for the wedding. What a little bag of venom she is.

But I digress: back to Lloyd.

He slipped something into Ethan's drink during the meal and poor Ethan became inebriated very quickly. Not only did he dance upon the table and declare that he was a Pirate King, but he referred to his little 'Jessy-Woos' all night. He finally collapsed to the ground and Mr Chalker and Doctor Keogh carried him back to the school between them. (I have heard this from lovely Jamie Collier, the Innkeeper's son, who loves a good gossip.) Poor Ethan was heard coming and going across the landing all night. I fear he will be in a sorry state for his wedding.

SATURDAY THE 6TH OF DECEMBER

My set and I passed Ethan this morning, and he looked quite dreadful. My set and I took drastic action and dragged him to the pump in the school yard. We held his head under it for several moments and sent him in the direction of the staff dining room. Miss Bateman would not let him enter! At first we thought that she was angry with him but then it turned out that he was to be served breakfast in his room because of the occasion. A maid came in with a plateful of sausage, egg and tomatoes, and Ethan took one look at it and bolted across the landing again.

I was bold enough to say to Miss Bateman "Please do not blame him, he is naïve and was no doubt led into last night's adventure by a prankster." She agreed and came back with a fizzing liquid that she ordered Ethan to drink at once. He obeyed without question.

Hooray, Miss Bateman's cure and several glasses of water later, our Ethan walked out to the pony-and-trap that was to take him to the church, as if he were completely sober. He looked pale and handsome like a Byronic hero and Louise gave a little sob, then controlled herself. Caleb also looked wonderful; he was the Best Man. Ethan was completely scandalised when that rogue Lloyd mentioned 'Jessy-Woos' and declared he would never call Miss Harrison such a stupid name. The poor man had obviously forgotten everything from the previous night!

The wedding went without a hitch, not a cloud in the sky – tee hee, Honey Wright! – and the ceremony was so beautiful. Ethan said "I do" so beautifully, his eyes shining, and Jess responded in the same vein. Several of us wept for joy. Afterwards we repaired to the Church Hall, where, incidentally we shall be performing 'Goody' later this month. But for this occasion the chairs and tables were moved back against the walls, except the ones left out for the more elderly guests, and there were speeches and then dancing. Oh joy! Dylan, Benjamin, Ethan and my adorable Caleb danced with each one of my set. What a wonderful evening it was.

SUNDAY THE 7TH OF DECEMBER

Ethan has taken Jessica away to a cottage on the coast for two nights for their honeymoon. He will be back tomorrow in time for classes and rehearsals but Lou says it's as if part of the school is missing when he's not there. We overheard Jamie and Lloyd discussing some contraption they have found; they believe it to be a new form of transport and have been prattling away about how they will try to open it up and make it work, but my set and I were too busy imagining the delightful things Ethan and Jessica are doing. We were all sitting on the garden swing together and alas, it broke in the end because we became so excited.

MONDAY THE 8TH OF DECEMBER

'The Gorgeous One' as Loulou calls him, is back and rehearsals are going with a swing! Today we rehearsed the scene where Squire Grabitall terrorises Granny Mollie, and is stopped by Goody. Lily was wonderfully frosty with Caleb! I can see what he means about it being more unnerving when a character with a handsome face has a foul heart. He had to pretend to slap poor Luckless across the head for trying to protect the dear old lady, which made Luckless fall over, and I was quite afraid of Caleb at times. Until the end of rehearsals when he gave me the loveliest smile.

"How is it going, do you think, Robyn?" he asked.

I refrained from saying how wonderful he was and discussed the whole production. We are all quite confident that it will be a success.

Miss Bateman wishes to know who has broken the garden swing. We all rather wickedly blamed Lloyd and Jamie for it.

SATURDAY THE 20TH OF DECEMBER

It is not only the last day of term but also the day of the pantomime! Our parents and guardians are all coming to see it and they will be taking us home in their automobiles or by train, after a high tea in the Church hall.

Honey Vinegar said she would not lower herself to watch such evil entertainment.

"Good" said Miss Bateman, on overhearing her, "For you are not invited. You shall sit in a classroom until the High Tea and write out 'I must not be a prig' one hundred times." Tee hee hee hee.

I feared I should ruin the show! I became more and more nervous as the afternoon wore on and five minutes before my cue, I found I could not go on! Lily and Alicia sent Caleb to talk to me. He came over with such a kind smile and said:

"Robyn, you must not think of this as a chore or a test, but a chance to sing and dance and act, and have a splendid time. The audience aren't here to be unkind to you, they have come in party spirit." And then, Dear Journal, he – kissed – my – forehead. I fairly bounded on to the stage at my cue!

They loved our performance. They went 'aaaah' when poor Grannie Mollie complained of the bitter cold, they sighed in genuine wonder at the fairy, somebody wolf-whistled at Lily in the grand finale when she married Prince David of Cardiff – Alicia was almost swashbuckling in the role! –and they booed poor Caleb loudly. Lucius was in the front row and was laughing and singing away! When Ben ran on as Luckless to get everybody to join in a comic song before the Grand Finale, Lucius all but sang his little lungs out. Oh the love on Ben's face! I'm sure the good Doctor Keogh felt much the same but he was hidden by the piano, which he played very well. Our darling little shire pony, Bonnie, had a role too, she carried Lily on stage for her wedding and was so quiet and patient. But then Lily's so tiny and slim. I said this somewhat dejectedly to Benjamin after the performance, when he wanted to know why I was hardly eating during the High Tea, and he told me that I had the most wonderful coloured hair and the prettiest face.

"Everybody has a beauty of their own" he told me.

I said to him: "Oh Mr Chiltern, it's been such a wonderful year; I hope next year will excel it."

He looked at me so sadly, and said "Oh, Robyn". I hope this does not mean he and his friends plan to leave.

As Mama and Papa drove us home – Alicia and Lily are to stay with me for the holidays – we saw a strange edifice which looks like the one described by Lloyd and Jamie. I hope the people who own it do not have too much trouble repairing it after Christmas.

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	33. Chapter 33

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

A/N The narrative is now changing back to the usual format; I hope the plot's not too slow at the moment. We will be hearing from Robyn again later in the story.

"I don't know what to do" Ben murmured to Dylan as they lay in each others' arms, "If it wasn't for the fact that war was coming, this place would be idyllic. And we'd be safe enough; the attacks on civilians will mainly be in London, so we needn't fear for Lucius or Jess."

"Then what's your problem, Chiltern?"

"These people are mainly lovely and they're going to lose so much when the war comes. They'll lose that calm, sedate lifestyle and become harder, more bitter."

"It'd be character building."

"And if we stay, what do WE do, Dylan? Let all the other guys go off as cannon fodder while we just take off in the time machine? Say 'tough luck, guys, but we're out of here?"

"I've an idea" Dylan said, trying to calm Ben, having felt his lover's heart jittering against him, "It'll be some months before anything starts. Why don't we take our time and decide later?"

"Good idea. Now where were we?"

"If you can't remember I'm kicking you out of bed!"

They eventually drifted into sleep with no bad dreams to mar their night.

Those would come later.

"Can't we just go and check on supplies?" Ethan wheedled the next day.

He added forebodingly:

"There'll be food rationing. I've read about it. We could starve."

"In that case" Cal told him, "We can leave the supplies right where they are for now."

"We need to make sure we can get them NOW" pouted Ethan.

"Ethan, you might not like this. There's no way I'm going to be stuffing myself with private supplies while people will be starving later! We'll vote on it with the others, of course, but I'm voting for not touching the food supplies at all. If we leave here, we'll leave the supplies for the others."

The distance Ethan's lower lip travelled was spectacular but he secretly felt proud of Cal's attitude.

"What's this?" Lloyd asked as he showed Jamie the mini-camera they'd sneaked out of the machine they previous day.

"Dunno… it looks like a kind of hidden camera, but I've never seen one that small."

Jamie prodded a few dials and gasped:

"Look!"

Caleb, Ethan, Jess, Ben Lucius and Dylan in different costumes, in what appeared to be different settings.

"Hey this is topping! I bet they've worked in the theatre before, you can tell."

"Should we give them this back?"

"Eeeeeeh!" was Jamie's response. Mainly because the device was now taking photographs of himself and Lloyd.

"No" he said after a pause, "Let's give it back to them and they might give us a reward. They're dead generous."

"We could slip it into one of the girls' skirts and then we'll get lots of lovely photos of them undressing." Lloyd had a massive crush on Alicia.

"Do you think they're all on the level?"

"I'd put money on it, they're all sound" Lloyd asserted. Those words were to come back to haunt him later.

The two miscreants decided to leave this strange building and did their best to leave it as they found it. But the damage had already been done.

The group had decided to go to the machine and bring back any non-food items to the school.

"Go on Ethan, you can take one chocolate bar" Caleb told his brother.

"Wow, I'll get fat as a pig on that!"

Cal gave him a friendly punch.

"Sarky bugger!"

Dylan scanned the machine's interior. Something seemed to be very wrong.

"It looks like petty thieving more than anything else" Cal said hopefully. He opened the door to the small refriderator. Ethan howled with rage.

"The thieving tw*ts! They took the lot!"

"What's a tw*t please?" asked Lucius.

"A bad word. Clever people don't say it" Ben said gently. Inside he was raging. So they couldn't even leave a gift of food to this school where the people had treated them, the travellers, so kindly.

"Get it reported!" bawled Ethan.

"Seriously? We admit we've arrived in a time machine and risk being locked away as insane, or worse? We'll just have to try to repair the machine between us" Dylan said grimly.

Ben knew in his heart that this was just a bit of petty thieving and minor vandalism at the worst, and that it shouldn't mar their chances of getting home. But his conscience began to trouble him again. He knew what would be expected of every one of them apart from Jess, before the year was out.

ROBYN'S JOURNAL

THE TWENTY EIGHT OF JUNE 1914

Here I am again, dear Journal. Today has been a wonderful day apart from one sad thing. Also, there has been a lot of war talk lately and it has made us all uneasy. Relationships between Britian and Germany are not good. We were talking about how we would cope if the Germans invaded our shores. Lily says she has a sharp hatpin ready for any of the enemy who tried to ravish her. Loiuse says we should use boiling oil as they did in Mediaeval times. And my idea was to make Honey Vinegar stand on the beach, then the Hun would see her and run away in fear.

But the main event of the day, dear Journal, was that lovely Benjamin seems to have come into a windfall. He and Caleb went to see Miss Bateman and proposed hiring a Charabanc to take us to the seaside for the day! Even the relatives of the staff are to be invited; our good cook's little daughter Kitty Seabrook, has talked of nothing else all day, her mother told us.

Vinegar said that Benjamin must have procured his money from an evil source and that she was in a mind not to go. Miss Bateman told her she was not invited (again) and that she could spend the day reading her Bible and thinking how much better she is than all of us. Vinegar again whined that she would tell her mother about how cruel the school is to her. Alicia and I overheard – quite accidentally! – and collapsed into silent laughter.

So, with one of Mrs Seabrook's excellent spreads packed in a picnic basket, off we went, singing all the way. Once we were there, Caleb and Ethan organised two teams for games on the beach. Even Miss Bateman joined in, and we were surprised by her sprightliness when she ran! We were more than ready for lunch, especially Ethan, and then we had another challenge… a sand castle competition. Little Lucius built what he said was a Roman fort. Bless him, how he loves his history! Mrs Bateman declared him the winner; the prize was a box of sweets. Being Lucius, he handed them round to everybody, as he wanted to share. Miss Bateman told him he was a generous boy to give away his sweets and he said "But look at the lovely picture on this tin; I can keep my treasures in here." Later I heard Miss Bateman saying what an excellent job Dr Keogh has done in bringing up Lucius.

Benjamin had paid for us all to go into Brighton Pavilion and we spent a happy couple of hours looking around. There seemed to be an atmosphere between Benjamin and Dylan, I overheard Dylan saying "You're doing this out of guilt aren't you, Ben?" and Benjamin replying: "This is one time when I won't just look after number one." Dylan became very sharp with him, I have only ever heard him be so angry once before, when Vinegar went to him complaining that she was sure she had trouble with her heart. He'd reduced her to tears by telling her she needed to have one put in. The walls of that Doctor's room are far too thin!

Later on the way back to school, little Kitty began to weep. We wondered if it was the disturbing news we'd heard about the assassination at Sarajevo – little Kitty has a very tender heart – then she blurted out that Honey Vinegar had told her the Germans were going to invade and that they ate small children. "What if they come?" she sobbed.

Caleb told her that he just knew that the Germans wouldn't invade our country, and even if they did, they did not eat children. He held her in his arms, and Benjamin sang her a lovely lullaby about a place called Hushabye Mountain. Kitty lay her head on Caleb's chest and went to sleep quite calmly.

I did notice that Captain Spiller, who had leave that week and was at home with his family, was looking at Benjamin in an appraising way as he sang. As did several people on the jaunt.

THE FOURTH OF AUGUST, 1914

Journal, we are at war with Germany. What will become of us all? And Jessica's little baby – what kind of world will it be born into? Journal, I'm afraid.

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	34. Chapter 34

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

THE FOURTH OF AUGUST, 1914

During the next few weeks they mad attempts to repair the time machine; it seemed the first 'diagnosis' was incorrect after all and the dials were damaged. Ben was equivocal about this. He wanted to take the chance of going back and reuniting with his parents, but still felt distressed at the thought of leaving his new friends to a miserable and uncertain future. He ached to tell Robyn and her little 'set' that Britain would win the war, but then wondered if that would be consolation if their friends and brothers died fighting for their beliefs. One day while Ethan was in a petulant rage after the Defence of the Realm act had been prominently displayed with all its restrictions, his mood got to Ben. Ethan was making a desperate attempt to fiddle with the dials of the machine once more and then had begun to kick and thump the machine in total rage.

"Oh, leave the f*cking thing alone!" Ben snapped, which shocked the others, not because of the word, but because of Ben's unusual outburst.

"Nobody's even trying to repair this thing properly!" Ethan retaliated.

"Ethan, we've tried everything, we've tried the dials, we've nearly had the bloody thing apart, and still nothing. What we need is a manual, which dear Professor Hanssen didn't think to leave for us. But even if this thing did start to function again…"

Ethan butted in rudely, imitating Ben's voice:

"I don't know if I want to be safe and leave these nice people to a nasty war!"

"Cool it, Ethan, Ben's entitled to his views" chided Cal.

"And if I do, will Saint Chiltern of the World here be able to protect these people?"

"I can't protect them all but I can – pardon the cliché – do my bit" replied Ben.

"Tell him, Dylan!" stormed Ethan.

"I'm his partner, not his mother! But, Ben, seriously? You'd enlist? I thought you were a pacifist."

"Not exactly. I'm going to declare myself a conscientious objector, but-"

Dylan wasn't having this.

"Ben, no. You'd be spat at in the street. Do you know that conscientious objectors in World War One who ended up in hospital were often given 'special enemas' by the nurses? I've read about it. Jingoism can make people spiteful. Still… I'm glad you're not thinking of volunteering to go to the Front."

But Ben was shaking his head.

"I can't kill. I can't go and take lives when I know what a senseless waste this war will be. But what I can do is help another way. I've been reading too, Dylan. I'd volunteer as a stretcher-bearer or a member of the medical corps." He gave a sad little laugh.

"After all I'm qualified for the second."

"Oh bloody great! So you're still going to be target practise but you'll be totally unarmed yourself? For f***'s sake, Ben, wake up and smell the coffee!"

Dylan would come to loathe himself for his next words.

"Well, you've just proved that you don't give a shit about myself or Lucius, haven't you?"

"Damn you" Ben said quietly but with a savage edge to his voice, and walked off.

They made up in a fashion later that night. As he held Ben and stroked his hair, after Ben had agreed to wait a couple of months before making a decision, Dylan prayed that something would happen to stop Ben from enlisting. He'd forgotten the phrase 'Be careful what you wish for'.

Ethan wasn't so easy to pacify.

ROBYN'S JOURNAL

THE FOURTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER

Oh journal! I can hardly believe the news. My set and I have wept nearly all evening. The Government plans to requisition our school and turn it into a hospital for the troops. We shall never see our lovely teachers again! Benjamin has already told us that he plans to enlist in the medical corps, but the others have not yet decided on their plans. Oh, what if they never return! On a happier note, Fletcher the elder has already enlisted. He is somewhere down in London, I believe, and we are not likely to see his face again. Another thing – since the Defence of the Realm act I no longer dare write this in invisible ink. I would rather risk somebody – even Vinegar – reading this than be thrown into prison for breaking the law.

Oh that mean Lloyd and his cheeky friend Jamie! They have told us today that if food supplies continue to dwindle the school will be forced to cook and eat little Bonnie the pony! Lily said she would like to cook and eat both of them. Caleb caught me weeping and asked why. When I told him he said "I am surprised that somebody as intelligent as yourself, Robyn, has been deceived by such twaddle! And, because she is a pony and not a horse, she will not be requisitioned and sold for the war effort." He's so sweet and kind and I shall miss him so much!

Ethan is in a mean mood lately. I think it may be the food rationing. He is hardly speaking to Benjamin.

THE EIGHTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER

Today Captain Spiller and Sergeant Iain Dean came to visit the school to speak to Benjamin. Alicia has discovered a wonderful little recess that we can creep into and the whole of my set were crammed in it to listen. At first we feared that they would persuade Ben to enlist on the spot, but they had actually come to ask him if he would sing during an officer's dinner on the 30th. Benjamin and his chosen guest, Doctor Keogh, will get a free meal, too. It could have been Ethan but there is a rift between Ethan and Benjamin, and every time Benjamin tries to offer the hand of friendship, Ethan refuses it. So, ha, ha, no free dinner for Ethan! (I am glad Louise cannot see what I have written there, I know she dotes on Ethan but he's being so mean to Benjamin and in public, too. But our lovely singing teacher had better hold on to his heart – another singer, Taylor Ashbie, a star of musical comedies from London, has also accepted the invitation to sing, and she is very beautiful. Benjamin may well have his affections stolen away!

THE TWENTIETH OF SEPTEMBER

Oh journal, today is the saddest day I have ever known. It is the day we all had to return home, and I am sitting in my boring old room in boring old Leeds. I laugh so bitterly at the way I loathed school for so long, until the four Adonises came into my life for such a short time. My set and I hugged last night and vowed to keep in touch – if our letters are not confiscated by the Government. You never know with this war! We shall never forget our lovely teachers, especially after what Caleb and Benjamin did for us today to cheer us. They took us to a lovely little tea shop in the afternoon – due to the war, there are no lessons any more – and stood us all a cream tea. We asked about what Jess would do, since Ethan was not there to tell us and Benjamin said he believed that she would do voluntary work in the hospital until she became too – tired. So Jess is to have a baby! Louise looked a little jealous, then looked ashamed of herself. During our meal Ethan put his rude nose round the door and shouted that it was funny how Benjamin and Caleb could find money for treats for us all. Benjamin and Caleb just kept their dignity and did not reply. Ethan slunk away and Caleb told us all to keep smiling, that he was certain that Britain would win this war. Vinegar's eyes goggled to see Benjamin and Caleb escorting us back to school but she said nothing, mainly because Alicia has recently introduced her to a few hearty whacks with a hairbrush.

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	35. Chapter 35

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

A/N: Sweeet-as-Honey, I was really amused by your viewpoint of the whacking with the hairbrush as sexy. Yes it would normally be, but Robyn's 'set' are such an innocent little group that they wouldn't 'get' that. Thanks for your reviews. General note: Lloyd and Jamie are in their mid- teens in this story.

Ethan sat in the poky little room that he and Cal had been forced to rent now they no longer had rooms at the school. He was depressed and worried what would become of everybody now the machine wasn't working. He was also still angry with Ben. Had Ben forgotten what he and Cal had told him about their life back in Andromeda? Fighting for crumbs in the street, being willing to put their lives on the line for a joint of meat or a loaf of bread? To suddenly find food more or less on tap everywhere they went afterwards was a Heaven that Ethan had fallen into, and he was determined not to go back to the hell of near-starvation. This was why he was so resentful of Ben's and Cal's ban on panic buying and stockpiling food. It had been bad enough that the fools had used a lot of the money they'd brought with them to treat everybody else to a day in Brighton to boost morale, using the simple excuse that Ben 'had come into a small windfall.' Ethan resolved to sit on his resentment for a while longer and then to apologise to Ben and his brother in such a way that they'd end by apologising to him instead. It was too late for him to wangle an invitation to the dinner party though, alas.

Jamie and Lloyd sat on a wall, swinging their legs idly. They were torn between relief at being too young to enlist and rage at wanting to 'get at the Hun' properly. They were missing the girls from the school already.

"I'm missing Alicia already" sighed Lloyd, "I never did get to slip that device inside her skirt."

"There's somebody more exciting coming; Taylor Ashbie's singing at the Officers' Dinner with Ben Chiltern" Jamie reflected.

"Taylor Ashbie is a corker! Is this singing thing one of your fantasies?"

"NO, chump! I heard it from Robyn – you know how she could find out news – before the school closed down. Taylor's coming to sing at a benefit dinner at The Grange, and Ben's been invited as well after Spiller heard him singing on that coach trip. He thought he was good so now Ben's got a chance for a good dinner and a look at Taylor's you-know-whats close up as well! The jammy blighter!"

"We'll not get anywhere near that officers' jamboree, so what's the point?"

"Trust your Uncle Jamie! What we do is act like two stage-door Johnnies and wait for Taylor to go into The Grange! We tell her how much we love her singing, and at the same time we fasten the device to her blouse." Jamie was almost dribbling, "Then we retrieve it when she comes back out, and … off to Heaven!"

Little did they know the consequences of their little prank.

Taylor Ashbie, born Taylor Bartlett, was beautiful and knew it. From an early age she knew how to twist men round her little finger, which resulted in her being thoroughly spoiled by her father , who was completely besotted with her, and would never allow her mother to as much as raise her voice to the little girl. As a result she believed that the world existed to please her.

When she discovered her excellent singing voice, Taylor realised that this was a way to avoid all those tiresome lessons that the other girls had to endure.

Her father spent a sizeable amount of his life savings on sending Taylor to the best musical establishment he could find, Taylor having convinced him that she could only perform in a refined atmosphere. Soon her voice and her looks ensured that she was set for life. Despite this, she hardly returned home, even when her father became terminally ill. She did, however, return home after his death and stayed just long enough for the will to be read. Taylor was not surprised to find that her father had left her the lions' share, leaving her genuinely heartbroken mother somewhat financially inconvenienced. Taylor grudgingly let her mother stay on in the home that had become hers, until the old lady became too frail and incontinent to help herself, whereupon Taylor packed her off to a retirement home. Old ladies who drooled and couldn't make it to the toilet in time were not part of Taylor's pretty world.

The well-appointed town house that Taylor now owned soon attracted the attention of Jonathan Ashby, who turned out to be a male version of Taylor. Being a lot more competent in mathematics than his heartless wife had ever been, he began to siphon money from their joint account until he finally cleared the account one night and left for Paris with his mistress, leaving Taylor to appease his many creditors. She had to sell her father's beautiful house and move to rented accommodation, which she loathed. However, she soon used her voice to earn money by day and her body to earn it by night.

She soon acquired another house and was sitting pretty until war came. But predators like Taylor would always survive, and now she had a new source of income… spying for Germany. Plus she had the other string to her bow; the singing. It helped with her espionage activities too, many hospitals and army billets welcomed a pretty woman who could sing for the troops. Taylor was adept at extracting information from officers who let their guard down when a beautiful woman was in their arms. She knew full well what the consequences of her actions would be if she were ever caught, but like somebody taking drugs who believed they can fly, Taylor believed herself to be immortal.

And now there were rich pickings for her at this soiree she was to attend of Captain Spiller's. Taylor almost choked with indignation when she was told that the other singer there would be an ex-schoolmaster called Benjamin Chiltern. Like Robyn and her set before her, she expected him to be a doddering old man with a bit of a voice. How unpleasant, but worth it for the fee and the opportunities, she thought.

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	36. Chapter 36

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

"It's not right" wailed Ethan, "He's just a bloody nurse who can sing a bit and he's going to get that lovely meal."

Cal sighed.

"Ethan, put a bloody sock in it! I'm jealous, if you must know, because he'll meet Taylor Ashbie and she's drop-dead gorgeous. But I'm not kicking off like a whiney little drama queen!"

"He could have taken one of us and not his boyfriend."

"Are you saying that Jess wouldn't be the first one you asked? Get real, Ethan. You're a pain in the butt lately."

"Please" said Jess wearily, "Please stop it, both of you."

It was Cal who hurried over to her and kissed her cheek.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Look, tell you what, I'll go over to the machine later and see if there's anything at all we can do to get it moving."

"Yeah" Ethan grinned nastily, "And then come back here and tell us, and we'll leave bloody Ben behind."

Ethan was going to regret those words before the evening was out.

"Oh Miss Ashbie, it's really you!"

Lloyd and Jamie had waited for Taylor outside the entrance to The Grange, despite the wind that had gathered momentum. Strong gales were forecast for the rest of the week and the organisers were happy that they'd chosen the best night of the week for the concert. At any other time Taylor would have brushed them aside rudely but now she wanted to deflect attention from. So she allowed Jamie to kiss her cheek – which left him in a state of near-ecstasy – and let Lloyd rub close against her. How many lads his age had fondled such a firm breast, after all? She blew kisses to both of them and swept down the hall where an eager servitor had waited to take her coat.

"We did it!" whooped Jamie, "Thanks to those teachers, we're going to have memories to treasure for years to come!"

"If you can get that device back from her when the evening's over" said the more cynical Lloyd.

"Just trust me, pal. I can do this."

"Miss Ashbie, welcome!" the handsome Captain Spiller enthused as he kissed her hands enthusiastically. She wondered who the two men were who stood with him; no doubt two poor sods who would be signing up as cannon fodder later. They were both very attractive in their way.

"May I introduce the young man who will be singing with you later, Mr Benjamin Chiltern?" Spiller said. Taylor looked closer at the dark-haired young man. Lord, he was handsome! She wondered why there was no lady with him.

"Did your wife not attend tonight, Mr Chiltern?" she probed.

"I'm single, and the good doctor here did a kind favour for me so I thought a meal at this wonderful place, and hearing you sing, might be a pleasant reward for him."

She smiled. No wife to get in the way. She wanted to make a little more intimate music with young Benjamin after the concert. He was so innocent looking, it would feel like corrupting an angel and the dark side of Taylor loved that.

Ben had thought long and hard about the two songs he was to sing later. Just two songs, the Captain had told him regretfully, due to time constraints. In reality it had been Taylor herself who, not realising her singing partner would be so attractive, had made sure that she was the star of the show, with the guest given just two solos and a duet with her. She had charmingly explained this to Captain Spiller, blaming a 'demanding agent'. Ben, with his usual open-hearted attitude, was happy to sing two songs. He had chosen "All The Things You Are" and, craftily, "Over the Rainbow", for, even though it came from a much later period in time, had the kind of message of hope and comfort that the people at the dinner would like to hear. He'd just said to the young man who played the piano in rehearsals: "If I sing these can you pick up the tune?" The young man could, and liked them very much.

Taylor had also chosen her music carefully. Nothing of German or Austrian origin, so no Lehar or Strauss. Offenbach seemed the best option. Then two songs with a strong National feeling, and the duet with Benjamin: "Keep the Home Fires Burning". Taylor actually didn't give a damn who won the war as long as she had good food to eat and money in her pocket. And tonight she had a hidden agenda. Her source had told her that there were documents hidden in The Grange that, in the hands of the German army, would cause a major setback for Britain. Taylor had no worries about Britain losing the war; if that happened she had been assured of a good position and home in Germany.

Ben's songs went down well with the crowd, and Captain Spiller was more than pleased with the gamble he'd taken in asking an unknown singer to entertain. There was a sincerity in Chiltern's singing that contrasted well with Taylor's flirtatiousness during the Offenbach adaptation, originally sung in 'La Belle Helene', Offenbach's comical take on the Helen of Troy legend, now the lament of any woman who can't help having affairs despite her best efforts to stop herself. Taylor made the most of the song by flirting with the men in the audience. One thing Spiller did notice was Dr Keogh's apparent resentment as Taylor stroked Ben's cheek in passing. Maybe the good doctor had heard about Taylor's reputation and feared for his friend. Or maybe… well, Spiller thought, none of my business. He did, however, consider having a private word with Ben and Dylan about another subject… enlisting. So many able-bodied young men were needed at the Front.

Taylor slipped out of the little room, carefully locking the door behind her. They were all downstairs, chattering away, and she had the document she needed, such a slim piece of paper that safely slipped inside her dress. Heinrich would pay her well for this soon. Taylor mentally planned her trip to London where she would pass on the information.

As she walked back discreetly into the drawing room she was delighted to see that poor dear Dr Keogh had been cornered by an old officer and was having his ear bent, while Ben stood on the balcony alone.

"Ah, Mr Chiltern, please pardon me, I just came out for some fresh air."

Ben tried not to back away from the heaviness of her perfume, and said easily:

"Well, there's plenty of fresh air all right. The forecast isn't good for the next few days."

The forecast! Did the little numbskull really want to talk about the weather?

"I enjoyed our duet, Mr Chiltern… may I call you Benjamin?"

"Of course, and thank you."

She suddenly moved closer, stroking his arm.

"I think we could make sweeter music together, you and I, if we walk in the gardens."

Ben moved back a little, the smile frozen on his face.

"I think you've possibly made a mistake there", he said a little coldly.

He bowed formally and walked back to the drawing room. Taylor fumed. He would pay for this.

And, half an hour later, she realised just how dearly he would pay.

"A telephone call for you, Miss Ashbie."

The shy young officer indicated the telephone in the vestibule. Taylor thanked him but her heart was pounding. A call could only mean one thing; something had gone very wrong.

The message had been heavily coded, but Taylor had understood it completely. A member of the intelligence corps had been warned that a spy was at the gathering and that a search would be made. She would need to get rid of the document fast, her source had said, if possible, implicate somebody else. Taylor's eyes glittered. She knew just who to palm off the document with. A perfect revenge for Chiltern's rejection.

As Taylor approached Ben, her new act was one of the contrite woman. She came out on to the balcony again, and he, naturally, walked away from her.

"Please" she said softly, "Please hear me out."

The easy tears shone in her eyes.

"I behaved badly back then. Sometimes I feel so lonely and forget myself…"

Ben's innate kindness was his downfall.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, a gesture of friendship, nothing more. With the dexterity born of her training in such things, she slipped the document into his jacket pocket without his even noticing.

"No hard feelings, Taylor" he said gently, and she could have laughed in his face. Instead she let her lip quiver as she thanked him for his courtesy.

Such a shame, such a handsome young man, but better his skin than hers.

(


	37. Chapter 37

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

A young officer was playing the piano and a few couples were dancing together, when Captain Spiller entered with a stranger. Both men looked grim. A young woman who appeared to be a secretary of some kind was with them; her lips were set in a thin line.

The music filtered out almost miserably.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologise for this interruption; we have received information that a spy could have infiltrated the party tonight and stolen an important document."

Dylan thought that while it would be something to tell the others about, maybe even raise a smile from Ethan, he hoped sincerely that nobody would be arrested.

Spiller introduced Miss Ruth Wilson who had come from Scotland Yard to investigate an anonymous tip-off.

"Miss Wilson will search the ladies – I assure you there will be no embarrassment involved – and Sergeant Dean and I will search the gentlemen. We shall use private rooms for this and then, begging your pardon, we would ask that once you have been searched and exonerated, that you would go to the drawing room to await your transport. We would prefer this evening to be brought to a close sooner rather than later."

Ben understood that; he just felt horrified that anybody could commit such a crime.

One by one the guests were searched, and each one withdrew to the drawing room. Dylan's eyes met Ben's; they promised a few treats to make up for Ben's special night being cut short. He was taken and searched by Sergeant Dean, and even though the officer was courteous, Dylan felt that frisson of unease that everybody experienced under such circumstances, guilty or not. Having been cleared, he was about to make his way to the drawing room to wait for Ben, when he saw the latter being escorted by two officers. Ben's face was ashen and he appeared stunned.

"Ben?"

"I swear I'm innocent" Ben said, shaking his head slowly as if coming out of a trance.

And Dylan knew.

He believed Ben implicitly; there was no question about that. But he knew the ugly truth; somebody had planted the document on Ben and he was being accused of treason.

Dylan was interviewed again separately, but was released after half an hour, the two officers convinced he had no part in what they saw as Ben's treachery. Ben was taken to London, and imprisoned, the trial was two days later. Despite Ben's heartfelt protestations of his innocence, the cards were stacked against him. People remembered his generosity and the question of where he had obtained the money to be so generous were foremost in the Jury's minds. He was found guilty and sentenced to be executed by a firing squad at the Tower of London in two days' time.

Jamie and Lloyd, not yet knowing why the party had broken up so soon, or why Taylor looked so pale and tense as she left the building, could hardly believe their double stroke of luck. Because of the famous singer being so agitated, they found it almost child's play to rub against her once more and extract the little camera. They couldn't wait to see the photos.

Taylor suddenly turned on them, taking her unease at the shock she had experienced out on the boys.

"And next time I'm singing anywhere, I'll thank you two not to come annoying me" she snapped. The lads didn't care. They had enough to remember her by.

Dylan could not sleep. He'd had to face some grim facts that the reluctant Captain Spiller had been forced to tell him. There was no question of Ben's body being released for burial; traitors were buried in Highgate Cemetary, not released to friends and families.

"Then I'll travel to London. I need to speak to him for one last time" Dylan persisted.

"No civilians will be allowed to speak to him now, Sir. He'll be kept alone in custody until the end."

Spiller felt a wave of loathing for Ben Chiltern wash over him. He knew what the two men were to each other, although he would keep silent on that score, and he resented Ben for breaking his lover's heart like this. He, Spiller, had been so mistaken about the young man.

"Would you like to stay with my wife and myself for a while, Doctor Keogh? Lara would be happy to put you up."

"No thank you, Captain" Dylan replied, "I've no intention of doing anything stupid, if that's what you suspect. I have my young ward to think of."

Nevertheless Dylan tossed and turned for the rest of the evening. He needed Ben's warmth and kindness, and that was gone forever now. And what would this do to poor Lucius? The little boy adored Ben. His mind stabbed about desperately for some vital clue that would prove Ben not guilty. It hurt him to think that it was due to Ben's generosity that he was facing such a violent death, and having his reputation mired by gossip. The village tongues would be wagging tomorrow. At about four in the morning, there was a desperate knocking and Dylan slipped on his robe wearily. So they've come for me now, he thought, and wondered if he would share Ben's fate after all.

But it was Ethan who stood there, tears running down his face.

"Dylan, they can't shoot him! They can't! He's a good man. And I'm so, so sorry-"

"Come in" replied the doctor, a touch of the old Dylan Keogh showing, "And I'd be grateful if you'd blow your nose first."

Ethan did so and followed Dylan into the sparse rented accommodation.

"Look, we have to tell them, Lloyd! Don't be such a nitwit!" Jamie snapped.

Lloyd's lip quivered.

"B-but if we show them these photos, that'll mean they'll arrest Taylor and she'll be shot!"

"And if we don't do anything, Mr Chiltern will be shot, and he's innocent. These photos prove it. Go on, Lloyd. We might get medals!"

"If you take that camera thing to Captain Spiller, I'll…" began Lloyd.

"-Punch me. Yes, I know. But I'm still going to do it. Lloyd, don't you get it? She was sharing plans to get our soldiers defeated in the next battle. They'd have been wiped out, Lloyd. I haven't just gone off her, Lloyd, I hate her!"

Jamie thought hard then delivered his piece de resistance.

"If you let that happen and if you let Curly Chiltern get killed you'll go to hell on Judgement Day. But that'd probably suit you because you'd meet that Taylor trollop. She'll be going to hell."

Lloyd wavered.

"Do you want your mum to know you're in love with a traitress and a harlot, and you're willing to let a good man die because of her?"

Lloyd gave a sob and handed over the camera.

"You take it. I just want to stay here and have a good cry."

Lloyd let Jamie take the camera from his limp grasp, but five minutes later he was tagging at Jamie's heels like a puppy.

Ben sat in his cell reading the old periodical they'd given him. They were kind enough in their way but it was more icy politeness than any friendship or empathy. And why should they be kind, thought Ben, they think I'm capable of betraying my country. What tore at him most was the fact that he'd never now have the chance to see his own parents again. He'd never hug Lucius again or make his peace with Ethan. Being only human, he was afraid of whether or not he'd die in any pain, though he knew this method had to be swift and merciful. Please let me keep my dignity at the end, he prayed. One more day to get through, one more evening, and then hopefully eternal sleep.

Outside, somebody was looking forward to the day after the next very much. Fletcher had found it hard not to whoop aloud when he'd seen whose execution he would be helping with. Mr Smartarse schoolteacher, who had contributed to getting him and his family evicted for a harmless prank on a silly schoolgirl. What goes around comes around and now Chiltern was going to get what he deserved in just over twenty-four hours.

(


	38. Chapter 38

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

Spiller sighed.

"I've no time to listen to two stupid boys confessing to some prank" he said wearily. The Chiltern incident had upset him more than he cared to admit and he was not in the best of moods lately.

"They said it was a matter of life and death, Captain" Sergeant Dean insisted.

"Oh, let them in. If it's a prank I'll have them for wasting army time."

Lloyd and Jamie sidled in, both looking at each other in terror. Lloyd's eyes were still red.

Jamie leapt in before Lloyd could change his mind.

"Please Sir, we did something bad. We planted a device on Miss Ashbie-"

-"If this is some schoolboy prank-"

"Please look at it, Sir."

Lloyd looked on the verge of tears again.

"I need to know why you planted this on Miss Ashbie, and where you obtained it in the first place."

Lloyd and Jamie had no intention of surrendering their secret hideaway just yet.

"In Mr Chiltern's pocket. We nicked it. We know we were bad."

Spiller felt sick and disillusioned. More evidence against Chiltern. He supposed he'd better see it.

Fifteen minutes later, his face pale but his eyes alert, Spiller was on his way to Dr Keogh's lodgings.

"Doctor Keogh, why in hell didn't you tell us your friend was working as a counter spy?"

Dylan didn't understand, but Ethan did. He was determined to win back some Kudos for Ben.

"Because Ben was willing to die rather than mess up the operation."

Spiller was wise enough not to say what the camera revealed in front of Ethan, who he privately and unjustly thought was a bit of a nincompoop, but he knew what he'd seen. Chiltern wasn't the spy, far from it. It was Taylor Ashbie and the bitch had planted the evidence on Benjamin. Fortunately that young man had been ahead of the game.

"Where's the telephone?" he snapped. Dylan told him and Spiller rushed out. Five minutes later he came back, his face grey.

"The bloody gales have brought the phone lines down. I can't reach London."

No, thought Dylan, not when there was almost a miracle.

Spiller's face was animated.

"If I leave now I should reach London before dawn."

"I'm coming with you" Dylan told him.

"And me!" Ethan chipped in.

"YOU have a pregnant wife; you stay with her."

Ethan's face fell at Spiller's order but he nodded.

"Dr Keogh, it's going to be a hellish ride in these gales."

"Captain, please understand. I gave up all hope of seeing my friend again. I need to come."

Spiller nodded.

They were soon on their way to London. Spiller knew they were cutting it very fine and prayed they would make it on time. Dylan was beginning to plan his future with Ben once more. It gave him strength as the car rocked from side to side and screeched round corners on the dimly-lit country roads.

Ethan ran to tell the joyful news to Jess and found her in Cal's arms.

"It's not what it looks like" Cal informed him, and Ethan could see his brother's shirt was wet from where Jess had been weeping on him.

"I'm not angry" Ethan said miserably, "I've deserved this. I've thought about myself for so long, no wonder you turned to Cal."

Jess lost her temper.

"Ethan, you prize fool! Cal's like a brother to me. But it's you I love, with all your selfishness, your whining… and your being so bloody adorable! Now come here. I need comfort and I need it from my husband."

Cal smiled and was about to leave the room.

"Oh that reminds me" said the irritating Ethan, "There's just been evidence handed in that's proved Ben's innocent. Captain Spiller and Dr Keogh are off to London because the phone lines are down."

Cal held out his arms and they all hugged in relief and hope.

Meanwhile, Taylor was gloating in her luxury appointment. A fat fee from Heinrich, and Chiltern paying in blood shortly for his insult. Things couldn't get better for her.

Ben's eyes had widened in shock on coming face-to-face with Fletcher.

"Mr Schoolteacher, or should I say Mr Spy? I told you I'd get even with you, didn't I, but who would have thought I had a chance to send you straight to hell?"

Ben, determined not to show his fear, had looked straight through Fletcher.

"You'll be looking me in the face soon enough, sonny. When you're grovelling for your life."

He left the young man to contemplate his forthcoming death. Ben had two hours to live.

Taylor lay in her bath, feeling soporific and contented. Heinrich had already offered her another job and she had earmarked two pretty dresses that she liked the look of.

There was a sudden loud knocking at the door.

She smiled. Let the fools wait.

The rapping became more urgent. An admirer of hers coming to bother her, no doubt. She flung on a bathrobe, pouting.

Sergeant Dean and Lieutenant James Powell stood there.

"Taylor Marianne Ashby, we have evidence that proves you are involved in espionage, in the pay of German and that you attempted to plant the evidence on an innocent man."

So they knew.

"Please don't hurt me" she said in a little-girl voice, deliberately letting the bathrobe fall open to reveal the curves of her full breasts.

"Get dressed, Madam" said Dean coldly.

Taylor trembled but did as she was told. Suddenly she bit her knuckle in what looked like a childish display of fear. But the ring on her finger containing the cyanide powder had done its job. Taylor fell to the floor and died in seconds, escaping the more violent death that she had passed on to Ben.

"Damn" Powell snapped.

The car rocked alarmingly but Dylan stayed calm. He concentrated on the little talk he'd have with Ethan when they were all back in the village again. Ethan had to understand that there was no way Ben would accept a medal for being a counter-spy. Ben would find another reason for having the camera on him, but wouldn't turn this into a way to glorify himself. That was one of the reasons Dylan loved him. Dylan was glad that Lucius was being looked after by kind-hearted Miss Seabrook, the school's cook, who still provided meals for the hospital staff that had moved in since the school had been requisitioned. Miss Seabrook was discreet and would not tell the little boy anything he didn't need to hear.

Ben sat thinking about Dylan, about his parents who were worlds away, about little Lucius. There was a gentle rap on the door of his cell.

"Already?" he thought, surprised. Well, better get it over with. There was no way he'd be leaving this place alive.

But a gentle, middle-aged man in priest's clothing walked in.

"I wondered if you'd like to talk, Ben."

A/N Sorry for being really evil and making you wait for the next part.

(


	39. Chapter 39

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

A/N WARNING: Possibly disturbing images, and character death (Thanks to Google for their help with the details.)

"Do you think we'll get medals?" Lloyd giggled.

"You heard what Captain Spiller said. We're lucky we're getting off without being charged for messing with government property."

"It's Mr Chiltern's property."

"Not now it isn't. I'm glad he's not a villain though" Jamie said.

"Poor Taylor though, she's probably in handcuffs and off to the Tower by now…" Lloyd snivelled.

Jamie punched him, and enjoyed it.

Ben smiled at the prison Chaplain. He did want to talk, and this man had an air of personal calm about him. He poured out his heart, being careful not to mention the time travelling, and instead just talked about his past life, his parents and the people he loved. He spoke of Dylan as his dearest friend.

Then there was an urgent rapping at the door, and Ben knew. It was time.

He took the talisman and handed it to the Chaplain.

"Please could you send this to Dr Keogh? Captain Spiller knows where to find him. Tell him he needs to wear it, please… he needs to keep it with him."

Ben didn't know why he'd said this, just a gut instinct.

The older man nodded and put the talisman away carefully.

Spiller's car was already pulling in at the gates of the Tower of London. Dylan's heart was going into overdrive; there were just five minutes left. He felt a mounting rage as Spiller talked to the sentry on duty. Just hurry up and let us through, you fool, he thought.

They walked to the miniature rifle range, the Chaplain reading from the Bible, as was customary for executions. Ben kept pace with the soldiers, he was beyond fear now, his mind just teemed with regret at everything he was to lose. He was even unmoved by the smirk on Fletcher's face. He was surprised to see a chair placed for him; he'd expected them to stand him against the wall. He sat, as the man silently indicated. He heard vague whispers from the firing party, and Fletcher, their commander.

"There are two minutes to go, Captain Fletcher, and isn't he entitled to a last request?"

"Not by my watch. Too late for any requests and greedy scum like him doesn't deserve one. Now are you going to obey me or are you going to be next?"

Fletcher was confident this breach of protocol wouldn't be challenged; he knew his men feared him and Chiltern was as good as dead as it was.

Two of the men tied Ben's hands behind him, and he felt another of the soldiers place his hand on his chest. He wondered why and then realised that the soldier was placing a target over his heart. He flinched slightly but regained his calm. He'd been told that one of the soldiers' rifles would contain a blank so the squad would never know which of them had taken the prisoner's life. Fletcher walked over to him, smugly holding out a blindfold.

"I know what you're going to do; I don't need that" Ben told him. Fletcher looked like a child that had been refused sweets.

"Your loss, sonny" Fletcher shrugged.

Then he barked out:

"Ready!"

Ben looked up at the sky, forcing himself to think of other things. Would Jess's baby be a boy or a girl?

"We're within earshot; we have two clear minutes. It's going to be all right, Doctor Keogh."

Dylan's nerves were at screaming point and he tried to let his mind drift to imagine how the village gossips would have to eat humble pie..

"Aim!"

Ben kept looking up, avoiding the sight of the rifles, and thought:

"Oh, Dylan, if only we'd had just one more night. Just one…"

"STOP!"

"FIRE!"

The two cries merged together and only Fletcher's bellowing cry was heard above the Captain's command. The squad acted accordingly.

The impact in Ben's chest sent him into merciful oblivion.

Then he was motionless, his head falling on his stilled chest.

Dylan, his eyes dry, ran over to him.

Spiller rounded on Fletcher, waving a signed document in his face.

"You had two more minutes to go!"

Fletcher covered his uneasy with a display of arrogance.

"He's been condemned, two minutes wouldn't have made any difference."

Spiller slapped the Captain hard across the cheek.

"You've just executed a man who's been proved innocent beyond doubt."

Fletcher's complexion turned a sickly green.

At a sign from Spiller, the men were gently untying Ben and laying him almost reverently on a stretcher.

Spiller looked back at the chair, wet and spattered with Ben's heartsblood.

"I hope this happens to you shortly" he told Fletcher.

"I don't" said Dylan tonelessly, "I hope he contacts a wasting disease that eats him from the inside out, and I hope he lives to be a very old man."

The soldiers carried Ben into the Tower, to a temporary resting place. There was no question of a traitor's burial in Highgate now; Ben would be buried in the village.

Spiller felt nauseated by the new developments. Two minutes, he told himself, two bloody minutes.

A few moments later the soldiers who'd killed Ben were marching Fletcher away in custody.

It was only afterwards that Spiller realised that because of the horrific circumstances that Ben hadn't been give the customary mercy-blow; a single shot to his temple. He just prayed that death had been painless.

The Army paid for Ben's funeral, it was the least they could do under the circumstances. Dylan wondered briefly what to have inscribed on the headstone: 'Beloved friend of…?' In the end he just chose the single word "Beloved". So many people had loved Ben. In less than a day the grave was covered with flowers and tributes.

Cal seemed to have aged with grief, and Ethan was desperately trying to stay strong for Jess's sake, though she too was mourning the kind man who'd looked after her all that time ago in Slatternly Honey's. They'd resigned themselves to staying in the village, there was no need for any further travelling. Only little Lucius, although he'd sobbed bitterly on finding out Ben's fate, was able to accept the situation. He'd gone up to the grieving Dylan – who carried an extra burden because he could only mourn Ben publicly as a dear friend- put his arms round his neck and said:

"Don't be afraid for Ben, he's with the Gods now and they will protect him."

Child and Stepfather clung together weeping, giving vent to the sobs that would begin the slow healing process.

Fletcher was court-martialled and imprisoned for two years, then dishonourably discharged from the armed forces. He turned to alcohol on his release and eventually this caused the end that Dylan had wished upon him. Taylor Ashbie was buried in an unmarked grave in Highgate Cemetary.

Jamie and Lloyd didn't receive medals but their action did ensure that they were deemed to be responsible lads, and were set up as apprentices once the war was over. Lloyd earned enough to survive, Jamie watched, learned and eventually took over the business when the owner died.

But all that would happen in the future.

The travellers carried on in the village for a month. Dylan steeled himself not to turn on the well-meaning visitors who told him what a sweet man Ben had been. He refrained from saying "Yes but you were all baying for his blood when you thought he was a spy, weren't you?"

He kept the talisman round his neck as Ben had requested. Sometimes he swore he could feel it glowing against his skin.

It was Ethan, very nervous in case Dylan should snap at him, who suggested that they went back to the broken Time Machine to bring back any precious reminders of Ben. Dylan agreed and the others asked to accompany him. There were very few things, a poem that Ben had written for Dylan and had hoped to set to music one day. A pair of cufflinks that Dylan had helped him to choose back in Victorian London. Lucius, ever-sensitive to grief, hugged Dylan.

And then they gasped in shock. The machine was working, the controls began to move on their own. They'd been wrong about the two pilferers wrecking the machine. Hanssen had always known he could bring them back when he wanted and he was doing it now.

So, let them kill me, I'm dead inside anyway, thought Dylan. Then he saw the fear in Lucius's eyes and thought, no, I'll fight with my last breath for this child, Ben. He felt the talisman glowing against his skin, and then the doors to the machine opened and there were Hanssen and his thugs standing smirking at them.

A/N Sorry that was so grim but I needed to follow my ideas through. Please bear with me till the end of the story.

.

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	40. Chapter 40

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FORTY

A/N: Warning: Character death and some violence.

"Well, well" Hanssen gloated, "A different set of people coming out than the ones who went in. I'd call that a success. Care to tell me what happened to the others?"

Dylan forced himself to say the words:

"Ben died."

Cal added:

"And Connie and Rita decided to stay in the past so they're out of your clutches."

"I knew that machine was dangerous; I was right to send in guinea pigs" Hanssen reflected. Dylan, unable to control his rage, rounded on him:

"No, it's not the machine that was dangerous, it was people. Bloody greedy, grasping, callous people."

"My" purred Hanssen, "You've certainly seen the sights, haven't you, sunshine?"

He leered at Jess.

"Seems this little lady's been around as well."

Ethan stood in front of Jess.

"Leave her alone."

"Let's cut the crap" Hanssen snapped, "Show me what you've brought back and pray for your sakes that it's worth having."

"We didn't bother" Dylan said calmly, "We knew you'd just take everything and kill us anyway."

He felt the talisman glowing again and wondered if it could be Ben's soul protecting him and the others. Even as his logical mind told himself not to be such a prat.

"Oh you're going to suffer for that" Hanssen sighed with mock regret. He looked over at Jess.

"If I shoot her in the gut, that's the end of her baby, too, isn't it?"

"You'll go through me first" Ethan declared.

But Lucius was unable to contain himself and rushed at Hanssen, swearing in Latin. Brad, the most gormless of the henchmen, aimed his gun at the child to scare him but Hanssen snapped:

"Don't touch him, don't touch any of them."

He looked at Lucius.

"Are you from ancient Rome, boy?"

Lucius nodded.

"Don't lay a finger on this kid; he's going to make our fortune."

Lucius, normally so tractable, shouted:

"I'll not do a thing to help you make money if you hurt any of my friends."

"Are you saying if I don't harm them, you'll come and speak in lecture halls for me?"

"You have to promise you'll let my friends go. If you do, I'll come with you."

"No, Lucius, you can't go with these people" Dylan said despairingly.

"I have to, for your sakes" Lucius replied doggedly.

Hanssen's eyes narrowed calculatingly. They could keep them all alive for now, and then, one morning while the kid was asleep, take his friends out and 'lose' them in Cardiff Bay…

He gave everybody a sickly smile.

"What a good kid, he deserves respect. Okay, you'll all be safe as long as he does what he's told. Right, we'll just get this machine closed up…"

Dylan felt the talisman glowing even warmer against his chest. And then, even though he could hardly believe his eyes, he saw a shape forming on the wall behind him. A familiar face, or perhaps the ghost of one…

Grey Owl put his finger to his lips, indicating that Dylan should act the innocent for a while longer.

"And you'll really spare our lives?" Dylan asked, unconsciously imitating Ben's wide-eyed innocent look.

"Sweetheart, we'll even feed you all!" grinned Hanssen. For once Ethan didn't smile at this.

"Now thank your lucky stars and let's get moving!"

He sensed a movement behind him and turned round to gape at Grey Owl.

"Would you like me to come with you as well, stupid f*cking white man?" the Indian asked.

"A genuine redskin from the Wild West! Oh, it's as if all my birthdays have come today!" whooped Hanssen.

"Another birthday present for you, stupid f*cking white man" Grey Owl said, indicating the back of the machine, "Meet somebody from Red Dog's travels."

The shape increased in size. A shape that had been small and vulnerable when last seen, but now not only powerful, but an object of terror to those who viewed him. As a full-grown dragon, Morpeth was pretty impressive.

As Hanssen and his thugs moved nervously to the front of the machine, near the exit, Morpeth padded over to Jess, who stroked him as if he were a puppy. He nuzzled against her tenderly. Dylan's heart leapt in sudden hope. Grey Owl, Morpeth… was another beloved shape from the past going to materialise?

But Morpeth was whimpering, having looked around for Ben, and not finding him.

"He's gone, Morpeth" Dylan said gently.

Two dragon tears fell. Hanssen and his thugs backed away from the scalding spray.

"Oh to hell with this" Brad interrupted, "Let's fight back a bit. Kill the bitch in front of them all to start with."

Even as he aimed his gun at Jess he realised it was a bad move. Morpeth scooped his human friends out of harm's way with his wing, then aimed a blast of fire at Brad, who ran for the exit with Hanssen and his henchmen, who were practically knocking each other out of the way to save themselves. Just to make sure. Morpeth followed them all, and soon the travellers shuddered as the screams of pain and blasts of fire came from the front of the machine.

Then Morpeth came waddling back with something in his mouth. Three wallets stuffed with notes, which he lay at the feet of Jess, seeing her as the rescued maiden. A souvenir of the battle.

"Oh Morpeth" Jess said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Morpeth put his head on one side, as if he were asking if he'd done wrong.

"Come, dragon" ordered Grey Owl. Morpeth faded away to his own time with one last little wave of his paw.

Grey Owl, eyes full of compassion, looked at Dylan.

"Red Dog, you have suffered" he said gently.

Dylan nodded.

"You will see Storm Eyes again."

"When, Grey Owl? When I die?" Dylan persisted.

But Grey Owl was fading like a hologram. Cal shouted as quickly as he could:

"Thank you for saving us all!"

They picked up the wallets, without a shred of remorse. They had to survive and these would help them until they could take back their places in the present day once more.

Ethan, behaving more like an adult than he ever had before, put his arm round Jess to shield her from the sight of the charred bodies as they passed them on their way out.

When the travellers were safely clear, there was a violent explosion behind them.

When they looked round every trace of the time machine was gone.

"Good riddance" Ethan snapped.

Then they stepped out into Cardiff in 2014.

The first thing they noticed was that there were Christmas decorations and lights all over the city.

Dylan fell to his knees, tears running down his face.

"Merry f*cking Christmas" he sobbed.

.

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	41. Chapter 41

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FORTY ONE

A/N I thought I'd make Lily a lovely person in this chapter.

The others hugged Dylan and gently wiped his face. Slowly he took a few shuddering breaths and then said:

"We'd better use this cash to get a hotel for the night if we can. It's freezing here, Lucius needs his bed and Jess needs rest."

Once again, Cal took charge and was able to get them all booked into a decent hotel for the next couple of days, despite the fact that it was Boxing Day. The cash from the wallets helped, but the oafish Brad had also written down his pin number and kept it in the same wallet as his credit card, which really boosted their fortunes especially as Brad had just received a fat payment from Hanssen.

Cal booked in a single room, while Jess and Ethan shared a double. Dylan and Lucius had a triple room between them; despite his own misery Dylan wanted to be close enough to comfort Lucius if he awoke weeping.

The sullen-looking man on reception told them there was no room service until the next day:

"In case you don't know, it's Christmas."

Ethan pointed to Jess.

"In case YOU don't know, she's pregnant. We're all exhausted and " - he lowered his voice – "My friend here was recently bereaved. Now what can you do about this?"

"You could try walking round till you find an all- night supermarket" the man on reception said, and went back to reading the sleazy magazine he held.

"Get the manager please" Cal requested.

The man huffed, but went to fetch his manager.

She came back with him a moment later. A small, pretty girl.

"Hello Sir, my name is Lily Chao and I'm the manager here. What seems to be the trouble?"

Cal thought that if only he'd met this girl at a happier time, he would be feeling the start of something good.

"My friends and I have been travelling for a long time. We've just found out your room service isn't available. Now that's fair enough. But it's your receptionist making it clear that he doesn't care a fig that's upset us."

"Duncan, I'd like you to come to my office tomorrow morning so we can discuss the meaning of customer service. Now Sir…" Lily smiled at Cal, "I'm afraid it's true about the room service but if you'd like to remain seated a little longer, I'll drive over to the Pizza Palace and bring back hot meals for you. Does your party all like soup and pizza?"

"Yes thank you-" Cal pulled out his wallet.

"No, Sir, on the house! I presume you've not yet unpacked?"

Cal shook his head.

"Duncan! Upgrade all their rooms to superior ones, please. The charge will be the same."

Duncan glared, but knew he would be in trouble if he gave these new guests any further grief, so he was busy on the hotel computer for a while, and then said, forcing a smile:

"All done."

"Thank you."

Dylan thought how Ben would have loved a superior hotel room and felt even colder inside.

Finally settled in their rooms, they enjoyed the hot food that Lily had brought for them. There were more than enough tea and coffee supplies and each room had a mini fridge with ample cold drinks. It was a sign of how much Ethan had matured when he made sure Jess had eaten all her soup and some pizza, and only then had eaten his own meal.

Dylan finally managed to sleep and to dream of Ben. In his dream Ben was warm and alive, and his usual tender self. Then he awoke to the misery of his loss and turned his face to the wall. Lucius slept quietly over at the other side of the room.

As Dylan lay there brooding, there was a frantic knocking on his door. He wondered vaguely if it could be the police.

Ethan stood there, his eyes like saucers, a newspaper in his hand.

"Page 15!" he gasped.

"I'm not interested in gossip-" Dylan began to growl.

"Please! Read it!" Ethan's voice was urgent.

Dylan turned to page 15… and almost dropped the paper.

"DIAMONDS MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT AND CABARET… FOR TWO NIGHTS ONLY… BEN CHILTERN SINGS A SELECTION OF MUSICAL THEATRE FAVOURITES AND STANDARDS."

"It's somebody with the same name" he said dully.

But his Ben had sung and had loved Musicals.

"I held him dead in my arms. I saw the wounds in his chest" he babbled to Ethan.

Then Dylan remembered something else. Long ago before all this travelling. Ben had been enthusiastic back in the hospital because he'd just got himself a couple of gigs as a singer, with Mrs Beauchamp's permission.

"Fuck."

The expletive seemed the only possible word Dylan could use under the circumstances.

"Only one way to find out for certain and we've got plenty of cash" mused Ethan. Then, to lighten the tension, he said:

"I hope they serve big meals."

"Greedy bugger." Dylan was almost his old self again.

All of them, not just Dylan, were on edge for the rest of the day. They walked round the cold but dry streets of Cardiff, they took Lucius to look at Cardiff Bay, but none of them could really settle.

Finally the evening came.

They knew three things before the evening was out.

Miraculously, it was Ben. He was alive, unharmed, with the voice of an angel. Cal and Ethan wanted to go and speak to him afterwards but Dylan said urgently:

"No. Please. He's on tomorrow night as well. Let me get my head round this for a bit longer."

"The way I see it" Cal said, as they sat in the bar afterwards, "Is that Ben didn't belong in 1914. None of us did. So when he died, his soul just came back here and he carried on as normal."

It sounded ludicrous, but then, being saved from armed killers by a dragon was also implausible.

Ethan looked miserable.

"In that case, you'd better put plenty of food in my coffin when I die because we'll be going back to bloody Andromeda."

"Just keep a couple of croissants in your pockets for the rest of your life and you'll be okay" Cal teased.

It all sounded fine but Dylan had misgivings. Tomorrow night was their last chance. What if Ben didn't recognise them? What if he didn't even… well, like Dylan?

Supposing he didn't recognise Lucius.

And yet, he, Dylan, had to know.

(


	42. Chapter 42

TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FORTY TWO

A/N One more full-length chapter and then a short epilogue will be posted separately.

Cal took them all shopping the next day and bought new clothes for everybody with Brad's credit cards. None of them felt any guilt about using the money, Brad would have happily killed all of them, starting with Jess and her unborn baby – and it was virtually impossible to locate people who'd vanished with a bang even if they had handed in their 'swag' to the police. Cal had the keenest eye of the group and could see what people were wearing in 2014.

Ethan kept a close watch on Jess all this time, making sure she felt safe on the crowded streets – the Sales had begun in Cardiff – and escorting her back to the hotel in a taxi when she was tired. He had matured so much from the wild young man who was rescued from fighting for food in Andromeda. He'd always love his guts, but heart won over guts and Jess was in his heart.

Dylan stroked the talisman before he fastened his shirt later as they dressed for Ben's cabaret. Please remember me, Ben, he prayed. Lucius's little face was pale and set. Dylan had warned him that his Dad Ben might not remember him and Lucius was afraid that might be true. Dylan could only wonder on Ben's state of mind after being flung into modern-day Cardiff again after his unjust execution. Maybe, he thought, shuddering, Ben _had_ died for a short time.

The young waitress, Morag, had seen how ill Ben was looking. He'd been lovely with her, though her gaydar had told her that a date with him was a lost cause – but he seemed tense and she'd gently asked him what was wrong.

"Bad dreams lately, Morag" he shrugged. He didn't begin to tell her any of them; the trial, the firing-squad, the pain, and then waking up in modern Cardiff. He was standing outside a funfair and knew he had to get the hell away from it, but couldn't say why it frightened him so much. He'd all but run across the road and dived into the first taxi he flagged down, but neither the driver or anybody he'd spoken to since had remembered a fair being in that area. How could he explain himself without feeling insane? So he put his jagged memories together, knew he had been trained as a nurse and that he could sing quite well. He'd concentrated on the latter, he wasn't in a fit state to nurse anybody at the moment. What hurt him even more than the pain at the end of his nightmare was the sense that he'd lost something very precious back in the strange world he'd dreamed of. Oh sod it, he thought, he'd go out there tonight and sing his heart out, give them all the best show he could.

Cal couldn't believe his luck. Even in the general misery at losing Ben, and the uneasy joy of knowing he was alive again, he couldn't help feeling thrilled. It was Lily's night off and she'd happily accepted his offer to take her to the cabaret with them. At one time he thought she was going to refuse, then she said seriously: "I would like to come with you all, Caleb… but next time I would prefer to go out with you alone." He tried to suppress his joy for Dylan and Lucius's sake but it was hard.

They had a table right in front of the stage. Dylan had picked up a flier with Ben's photo on it; he would keep it as a precious souvenir if the evening ended disastrously.

"Glad to see you here again, ladies and gents – I must say, I think this young man's going to go far so you should get him to sign your flier afterwards. He's going to try his luck in London tomorrow so I'll be surprised if we see him here again – at least as a singer. Next time he's here, he'll be at the New Theatre, you mark my words." The Maitre D' was a chubby, friendly man, and liked this group.

After an excellent meal, which, unsurprisingly only Ethan and Lily were able to do justice to, though Dylan did find the ice cream and drinks helped to soothe his tight throat, Ben came on to perform his set.

He smiled at them all but it was a genuine surprise of pleasure that a group had come to see him twice, nothing more. His first act ended.

Ben felt the same ache again as he'd felt previously, but this time it was tinged with frustration. He knew the people at the front table. Yet no matter how much he'd looked at them as he sang, nothing stirred in him, even the adorable and well- mannered little boy didn't spark any recognition. Damn, he would have to take another sleeping pill later. He hoped he wasn't going to start going down that route…

The doorman, Big Mac, took one look at Jess and made sure she stood where she was protected. The crowd, mostly excited young girls, had certainly taken to young Ben. The lad deserved it, despite being in a kind of daze most of the time. Big Mac knew it wasn't drugs, he'd seen their effect before. Something hurt him in the past, more like.

Then Ben came outside. He was charming with everybody, polite, humble. He noticed Lucius.

"Hi, thank you for coming to hear me sing. Wouldn't you rather have gone to the panto?"

Lucius didn't know what a panto was, but said:

"I wanted to come and hear you; I like it when people sing nice songs."

Ben smiled, signed Lucius's flier, and then signed for the others. He wondered why the group with the little boy were looking anxiously at him. Oh-of course. There were a lot of unpleasant characters around now, they were just looking out for him. Ethan forced himself not to ask Ben any stupid questions, and then the group stepped back for others to speak to the young singer.

They were all afraid to mention the past to him. And what would have been the point? Maybe his memory had been wiped after his ordeal, decided Dylan.

And then a pushy woman – one of those who seemed to be 90 per cent elbows – was in front of them, pushing her flier under Ben's nose.

Dylan knew that they might as well give up. His arms around Lucius, his friends around him, he steered them towards a couple of taxis.

He's alive, he's safe, don't be greedy and ask for more, he thought, dreading the bleak future. He fingered the Talisman and remembered Grey Owl's exact words. He'd told Dylan he'd see Ben again, he'd never told him that Ben would remember him.

He – and the others – had to accept things.

Just a brief epilogue tomorrow.

(


	43. Chapter 43

TIME MACHINE EPILOGUE

And then something broke within Ben, as suddenly he remembered everything.

"DYLAN!"

A woman, determined not to be cheated of her chance of an autograph, deliberately stood in front of him as he tried to go down the steps. Big Mac could see Ben's urgency and gently but firmly blocked the woman's way, allowing Ben to hurry down the steps.

"How rude!" the woman sniffed.

"In case you don't get it, lady, he has somewhere else to be, and you've been standing there for ages so let it pass, okay?" Big Mac had only known Ben a while but liked him.

Ben flagged down a taxi and pointed to the vehicle just ahead of them.

"Follow that taxi-" and then, being Ben, he added:

"Please?"

"There's no need to give yourself a heart attack mate" the driver said cheerfully, "In this traffic you'll have no problem keeping up with them."

Then he looked warily at Ben:

"I don't want to be funny but… you're not a stalker, are you?"

"I promise you if they're not happy to see me I'll leave them alone and get right back in here."

They wearily climbed the steps to the hotel, cheering themselves up as best they could. Lily wasn't sure what was happening but knew they'd been – not snubbed, more not recognised – by the singer. She sensed their communal misery and was planning to treat the adults to brandy and Lucius to a children's cocktail to cheer them.

Duncan Disorderly was on reception, and "Fairy Tale of New York" was playing.

Ethan sang "You're a bum, you're a punk, you're an old slut on junk", deliberately looking at him.

Anything to take that lost look from Dylan's face.

Suddenly Dylan felt the talisman glowing, definitely glowing.

And heard the familiar, beloved voice behind him:

"Dylan! Lucius!"

Ben ran to them and swept them both up into his arms. Dylan stroked Ben's face, and snuggled closer, happy to feel the beat of Ben's living heart.

Lucius snuggled in too, relieved that all his prayers to the Gods had been answered.

Ben suddenly gasped: "Oh God, the poor taxi driver" and went running for the exit again. Dylan ran after him, almost like a nervous puppy, scared in case Ben disappeared again.

"Sorry, mate!" Ben said, giving the driver the most generous tip he'd ever received. The driver drove away grinning.

Poor Ethan, not sure how Ben would react to him after their argument, hovered nervously.

"Come here, a**hole" Ben told him, and hugged him.

Then the entire group, Lily included, began to waltz round the foyer to the final chimes of "Fairy Tale of New York".

They'd missed Christmas but New Year was going to be a brilliant one.

The first of many.

(


End file.
